


Eldest (Genesis Part 3)

by KaeAleah97



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Mild Gore, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27956324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaeAleah97/pseuds/KaeAleah97
Summary: After being exiled from Asgard, Thor had no choice but to be taken in by the kind humans on Earth, including one individual that he was totally captivated by. She may be odd but still very beautiful, despite carrying a lot on her slender shoulders. How foolish he was about her though. This woman's very existence was ground shaking and truely...dangerous.
Relationships: Thor (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**THE CLOUD**

**Puebte Antiguo, New Mexico**

Everything was dead and the crust of the earth was dried up, harboring no such life left in it. Darkness was all there was, abyss-like, cold, nothingness, but... It was only that way because a little group of four were stuck in a New Mexico desert in the middle of the night...in a van too. It was silent if anything, but not nearly enough to fall into a deep slumber with Jane slamming the keys of her laptop with all her might.

"Hey." Jane knocked on the roof of the van. "You're awake, right?" She called out to somebody on the outside of the roof. All Jane heard back in response were three solid knocks. "Please, activate it." Seconds later she could hear the sound of something being locked down on top of the van.

Erik looked outside the window at the empty and dark night and disappointingly looked back to Jane.

"Wait for it," She said in anticipation.

"Can I turn on the radio?" Darcy said in a moping voice.

"No." Jane snapped.

Erik shook his head with even more disappointment. "Jane, you can't keep doing this."

Jane pulled out a notebook that had carefully thought up data, though some of it was notably in a different language, thanks to the woman on the roof. "The last seventeen occurrences had been predictable to this second." She said.

Erik looked at the unrecognizable language that Jane was just assuming were correct calculations. "How can you even read this?" He protested.

Darcy leaned her head on the steering wheel and mumbled to herself. "I don't even want to know how Wonder Woman on the roof picked up on a weird habit like that."

"Jane, you're an astrophysicist, not some storm chaser!" Erik said.

Jane shot back. "I'm telling you, there's a connection between these atmospheric disturbances and our research."

Back on the roof. A woman laid on her back and listened quietly to the constant ramblings from Jane and Erik, along with some sly comments from Darcy. She sighed deeply and stretched her arms out behind her head and said nothing, just taking in the unique beauty of the desert sky that reflected glimmering stars in her hazel eyes.

"Ah...It's been a while since I been to New Mexico...I almost forgot how quiet it is." Her body began to relax to the cold air that glided across her body. She found comfort in the cold and it brought a sense of nostalgia back to her. It was an old memory...a very old memory in the back of her head that was assumed to have been buried long ago.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to fall into a deep slumber just yet, and her eyes only remained closed for a second. She saw something shimmering behind her eyelids and she cracked them open, sitting up. It looked like the sky was opening up with shining blue and green lights with white rims.

Back in the Van. Darcy squinted her eyes in confusion and looked at the roof when she heard it creaking. "Hey! You alright up there?!" She called out.

They jumped when the woman suddenly dropped her head down from the sunroof.

"Cain?!" Jane shrieked from her sudden actions. She grabbed her chest and felt her heart skip a few beats.

Cain's hair was long and blonde, held together in a high ponytail and her skin had a slight sunkissed shade. She was a beautiful woman from her golden hair to her gorgeous, shimmering hazel eyes that stared sternly at Jane. "Look to the sky." She spoke in a low, rumbling tone before removing her head.

Jane and Erik quickly put aside their differences to see what Cain was making such a commotion about. They looked up through the sunroof and saw the bright, shimmering lights that looked like magic.

"I thought you said it was a subtle aurora!" Erik gasped in shock.

"Inside! Now!" Cain ordered and pushed them aside before jumping back into the van.

"Go!" Jane shouted for Darcy to start up the car.

Darcy scrambled to start the van at first but found the key and sped off to the light show. Cain held Jane down as the van jolted up and down because of the bumps in the road. She found Jane's video camera and handed it to her so she could film. She laughed like a child because this whole scene looked like magic before her eyes, but Cain though stared out the window in disbelief because it appeared as though the lights were coming fast like a twister about to touch down. As soon as it impacted the ground, the whole desert began to shake and rumble. It felt like a crash landing that caused the dirt to kick up in large amounts that blinded them. All they saw was the lights piercing through the sandy veil before Darcy suddenly slammed on the breaks and began to turn the wheel around.

"What are you doing?" Jane shouted at her.

"I am not dying for 6 college credits!" She exclaimed.

Jane and Darcy both grabbed the wheel and wrestled for it. Their view was obscured by dirt when this large, human-like figure suddenly appeared in front of them. Darcy and Jane screamed as the van slammed right into it. They skid to a halt and just sat there for a moment, their bodies unable to keep up with the adrenaline rush that froze their joints. Cain was the first one to jump out of the shock of it all and ran out of the van, soon followed by everyone else with flashlights.

"I think that was legally your fault," Darcy blamed Jane.

"Enough!" Cain raised her voice to both of them. "Darcy, First Aid Kit. Jane, give me your light!" She ran over to the body of a man and kneeled down just as she was handed a light.

"He's not dead is he?" Jane's hands shook while waiting for her friend's response.

Cain got a better look at the man and saw that he was still conscious, just kinda in a daze. She could finally see him now that her light was on. He was a big guy, at least 6'3, blue eyes, and very long blonde hair that reached his shoulders.

Cain flashed his blue eyes with the light and saw his pupils dilate. "He doesn't appear to have a concussion."

It looked like he was starting to come too as well. This man's eyes began to finally focus and the first thing he saw was Cain's face staring down at him, inches apart. Strange. It's not like he couldn't find his words, but he felt captivated by her eyes that looked very odd to him for some reason. They were beautiful, yes...but just unusual for some reason. He couldn't put his finger on why either. He just stared directly at her for a couple more seconds before Cain pulled away after making sure he was alright.

"Wow," Darcy spoke up. "Does he need CPR? Because I totally know CPR." She couldn't help to say.

"He doesn't need it." Cain shook her head and got back to her feet.

Jane was confused. She looked around at the area that they were in that was totally barren. It was possible to see anyone and everything for miles, yet, it was like he appeared out of nowhere. "Where did he come from?" She mumbled and shared a concerned glance to Cain who looked to be in deep thought and just as confused.

The man suddenly stumbled to his feet and began to sway back and forth.

"You alright?" Jane asked him.

"Hammer!" He mumbled. "Hammer!"

"Yeah, we can tell you're hammered. That's pretty obvious." Darcy quickly commented.

"Darcy..." Cain shook her head, warning her not to talk anymore.

Jane directed her attention to the ground and saw a large burn design on it. "Oh, my god! Erik, Cain, look at this. We've got to move quickly before this all changes." As concerned as she was for the man, her attention was directed away from him in seconds upon seeing this beauty.

"Jane, we have to take him to the hospital," Erik said while he and Cain shinned their lights to the pacing and aimless man as he continuously stared up to the sky like he was looking at something, despite nothing being there anymore. The weird lights from before were gone.

"Father!" He shouted like he was calling to the heavens.

Jane shook it off. "He's fine, look at him."

"Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Open the Bifrost!" He shouted once again.

"Hospital. You go. I'll stay." Jane said firmly.

The man suddenly turned to Erik and pointed his finger at him, demanding answers and speaking in an odd mannerism like he was from a different era. "You! What Realm is this? Alfheim? Nornheim?" He almost shouted.

"New Mexico." Darcy pulled out a taser gun and pointed the red light at him.

"Darcy," Cain called out in a wary tone.

"You dare threaten me, Thor, with such a puny weapon!" The large man raised his voice.

Darcy looked at Cain and saw her quickly put her finger to her mouth, signaling her to keep quiet. Steadily, Cain hunched down a slight bit and began to move behind the man while he mouthed off to Darcy. She stopped when she was directly behind and launched towards him with her hands outstretched. She quickly trapped him in a headlock and held her arms in place despite the man's wild protest. He swung her around but Cain had a death grip around his neck.

"How dare you attack the son of Odin!" This man continued to talk nonsense and tried to pull Cain off of him, but his vision started to blur in no time. He couldn't shake her off because her grip strength was that overwhelming to him. His knees buckled and he finally collapsed to the ground where he remained motionless.

Darcy stared at Cain in utter shock, her mouth hanging open like a fish. "Dude, you just choke someone out."

Erik ran to the guy to make sure he wasn't dead. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

Cain felt like she was out of options. "He was starting to talk nonsense and get violent. I think it would be best if he was unconscious so we can have a safe drive to the hospital. "

Erik could see why she did that and agreed with her decision, yet was still confused about how she was able to do that. Cain was of average height, at least 5'5 and a bit on the skinny side. So normally, a guy this size wouldn't have a problem dealing with her. Guess he was wrong, very wrong. "How strong can you be to knock out this big guy? But next time...make sure he's already near the car."

Cain frowned and realized the problem. "Sorry. Come on and help me. Get his arm."

Daybreak finally came and filled the sky with orange colors once more, but their worries were far from over. Cain was on high alert during the whole drive through the sandy plains. She was being extra cautious with their unconscious guest to make sure he wouldn't wake up and suddenly become violent again. Luckily they finally made it to the hospital without any worry or problem. The only thing left was to fill out the basic information to check him in.

"Name?" The nurse at the front desk asked.

Cain squinted her eyes to remember what he was yelling from before. "He said it was Thor." She remembered.

The nurse nodded and typed it into the computer. "T-H-O-R. And what's your relationship to him?"

Darcy suddenly butts in. "Does choking him out count as a relationship?" she jokingly said as Cain shot her a serious and intimidating stare that burned her confidence like a tinder box.

"It's called 'Self-Defense', Darcy." Cain cocked a brow. "But no. No one here knows him." She said just when this loud crashing sound echoed from down the halls in one of the rooms. Cain knew without a doubt that it was their guest, who apparently finally woke up.

"You are no match for the Mighty..." The voice came to an abrupt halt.

Cain remained quiet and just stared off in the direction of where the man was taken away. It bothered her really, his whole existence made no sense, now that she recalls some keywords he was rambling on about like a drunken sailor after winning a war.

"Bifrost, huh." Slowly, her eyes narrowed but her mouth stayed shut.


	2. Back To The Hospital

**BACK TO THE HOSPITAL**

Cain stood in the back of the room and looked over the new notes she wrote and hung up on the billboard. There were pictures from Jane's video camera that she filmed and papers with data on them. Yeah, some of it was in a different language out of habit, but she didn't feel like rewriting it in English. The whole fiasco from last night was still on her mind and the strange lights and the unnatural phenomenon left her baffled. What really piqued her curiosity though was that strange man that appeared out of nowhere. If Cain didn't know any better, she would think he dropped from the sky, but that would just be silly. Then again, 1995 was a strange year for her too so...needless to say, she was pretty good with silly.

"You don't think this is just a magnetic storm, do you?" Erik asked both Jane and Cain.

"Look," Jane pointed to her computer screen that had a still frame from the video she took. "Look, the lensing around the edges is characteristic of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"A what?" Darcy lifted her head and looked confused.

Erik turned to Darcy and gave her a look. "I thought you were a science major?"

"Political science." Darcy shrugged.

Cain spoke up and turned to her. "Darcy, an Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a theoretical connection between two different points in space. Basically, it's a wormhole." She took in a deep breath as a slight smirk came to her lips that gleamed with curiosity and a tad bit of entertainment. She always loved science and figuring out new things, it's one subject that never disappointed her.

Darcy walked over to her and stared at the billboard of pictures and notes. She shifted awkwardly next to her. Darcy always wanted to strike up a conversation with Cain but she found this woman hard to talk to. As far as she knew, Cain doesn't really talk much about her personal life so she knew nothing about her aside from her name and net worth. Judging by her car, she knew that Cain (Or her family) had a great deal of money. "So...You don't seem the silence type since you choked out that dude back there. You into karate or something?"

Cain's expression was just as flat as her voice. "It wasn't karate. It was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

Darcy's mouth hung open. She looked thrilled that Cain even answered her in the first place. "That's so cool, man. You know anything else?"

"I know a large number of combat styles." Cain then suddenly looked down and had a genuine smile on her lips. "My sisters and I learned how to use it over the years. It ranges from Taekwondo, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, Judo." she named off.

Darcy smiled. "What? Are you some kind of champion or something? You took that big guy out with no problem."

"I _was_ a champion," She said as a matter of fact. "But found it boring after a while and tried something new. Like science for instance."

Darcy nodded when something came to mind. "Wait...you have sisters?" Thinking about it, this may have been the first time she saw Cain generally smile.

"Yes. I have two little sisters." Cain then suddenly squinted her eyes and leaned in to stare at a picture that was taken last night. "Jane, I think we left something at the hospital." Cain pulled the picture off the billboard. It was a blurry picture of the cloud with an outline of a big man on the inside.

* * *

Cain ran down the hospital halls and past a room that was in shambles with police talking to the doctors. She practically skidded inside the room that Thor was supposed to be in but found the bed to be empty and the restraints loose.

"He's gone." She called out as Jane and the rest walked in behind her.

"Oh, my God." Jane immediately spun on her heel and walked right out a moment later.

* * *

They all got back it the van after finding out he escaped. Cain did do a minor search through the hospital to actually confirm that he was no longer inside. She was sure he was gone after taking a sneak glance at the security cameras to be extra sure. Thor was no lingering inside the hospital and left for some reason.

"I just lost my most important piece of evidence," Jane exclaimed in annoyance. "Typical."

Darcy adjusted her glasses. "So now what?"

Jane huffed. "We find him."

"Did you see what he did in there?" Erik pointed out the mess that was in the hospital. "I'm not sure finding him is the best idea."

"That's why we have Wonder Woman Cain over there." Jane gestured to the back seat where Cain waved her hand in acknowledgment. It wasn't her official job, but Cain instinctively took the precaution of everyone's safety and acted as the voice of reason too. "And it's not like our data can tell us what it's like to be inside that event and he can. So, we're gonna find him."

Darcy gave a comical reply. "Okay." She brought out her stun gun to make sure everything was in order. She noticed that Cain was raising an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"So we're gonna look all over New Mexico, right?" Erik questioned her.

"No," Cain suddenly cut in. She moved up closer to the front seats. "The bed was still warm. I think he's still in the area somewhere."

Erik gave her a look as Jane smirked. "See?" She started up the van and began to back it up just as Thor himself walked out behind them and slammed into the back like he did last night. Jane jumped when she heard the impact and breaked hard. "What!?" She exclaimed.

Cain groaned loudly and ripped open the door. "I said he would still be in the area," she said and ran out before anyone.

Darcy nodded. "You were right on target with that."

Everyone quickly jumped out of the van and ran around the back and saw Thor laying on the ground with his arms and legs spread out. He was still in his hospital gown too.

"I'm so sorry. I swear I'm not doing this on purpose." Jane apologized.


	3. Are You Not Entertained?

**ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?**

Cain found herself doing something very unlike her, and that was admiring Thor with his shirt off. She snapped out of her daze quickly and looked away, a bit disturbed with herself that she was doing nothing but staring at him for at least three minutes or more. Cain groaned to herself and rubbed her eyes, thinking she might just be exhausted but that hardly ever happens.

Darcy smirked and nodded to herself. "I understand you, Cain. For a crazy homeless person, he's pretty cut," she commented as Thor walked out with a shirt in his hand. "Hey, sorry that Cain choked you out."

"Darcy..." Cain frowned and lowered her head into her hands. She ran her fingers through her hand and watched as Thor picked up a device from Jane's table and started to mess with it. She got up and walked over to him, taking it out of his hand. "Please don't touch anything." She asked, her eye trailing downwards at his still shirtless self once more. She groaned in frustration and cursed herself for staring so inappropriately. Cain hated that this unknown man was making her stumble a bit.

Thor looked down at the shirt and noticed a nametag on it, reading: 'Donald Blake M.D.' on it. "What is this?" He asked the mildly frazzled woman.

Cain snapped out of her inner argument. "Oh, that?" She reached out and took the name tag off. "Jane's ex-boyfriend. I haven't met him before, but she said he was a piece of 'work'. These were the only clothes that could fit you-"

"They will suffice." Thor cut her off and walked away, putting the shirt on. "This mortal form has grown weak. I need sustenance," he actually ordered them. It made Cain cock a brow at his forceful tone of voice.

Everyone was ominously quiet at this point while staring at the woman who burned a hole in Thor's back. It was _weird_ to hear anyone being rude to Cain since she came off very intimidating and unapproachable, never once having a genuine smile on her lips of contentment. This man either didn't understand the spiking tension in the room, or he just didn't care. Still, it didn't shake off the uneasy feeling that was lingering in the room with Cain's drawn-out silence.

Thor gave everyone a puzzled look when they suddenly became quiet. "What is wrong?"

Darcy looked back at Cain worryingly, as this woman still wasn't talking. "I think you made Cain mad."

Cain blinked and looked at Darcy. "I'm not mad," she spoke up.

Thor turned around to Cain and actually looked perplexed. "Did I upset you?"

"I'm not mad," Cain said again a bit more firmly.

* * *

They brought their new friend into a local diner and sat down but just stared in amazement as Thor literately scarfed down more food than them. He had a large stack of pancakes, coffee, hashbrowns, chili, and somehow managed to stuff every last nibble down his throat without growing sick.

"How'd you get inside that cloud?" Jane asked.

"Also," Darcy jumped in. "How could you eat an entire box of Pop-Tarts and still be this hungry," she questioned him.

Cain answered that one herself. "He's a 215 pound mass of pure muscle. It wouldn't be a surprise that a big guy would have a big appetite." she shrugged.

Thor took his coffee mug and drank the rest of it. "This drink. I like it." He nodded in approval.

"I know right-"

"Another!" Thor went to break the mug against the floor but Cain's hand shot up and caught the cup before it could smash into a thousand pieces on the ground. Darcy and Jane jumped when Thor did that but sighed greatly when Cain somehow caught it. It was so impressive that she didn't even have to look down to grab it. Darcy had to take a moment to comprehend how Cain did that in a split second.

Thor gave a laugh and a smile. "You're reflexes are impressive." He complimented her but Cain remained to have her usual firm and set look on her pretty face.

Cain took a deep breath and calmly set the mug back down on the table, a bit out of reach from Thor for the diner's sake of cleaning up. "You were going to smash the cup, right?" She squinted her eyes in confusion. "Why would you do that?"

"It was delicious. I wanted another." Thor said like he did nothing wrong.

Cain lifted her brow. "Then you could have just asked if you wanted another one."

"I just did."

"No. That was being rude. If you want another one then you could just ask nicely." her voice was low and rumbling. It caught Thor off guard when she spoke and he was now beginning to understand why everyone found her a bit intimidating. Though he found this side of her to be a bit admirable too.

"I meant no disrespect," he said.

Cain grabbed the mug and set it back in front of Thor. She stared at him in his eyes with her grim gaze. "Then ask before smashing other people's property. Do I make myself clear?" she said in her low tone that sounded like the response needed a 'yes ma'am' answer.

Thor stared into her eyes and nodded sheepishly. "You have my word."

Cain nodded in approval and leaned back in her chair. "Thank you." She moved her head over to the front door when she heard the bell going off. She saw two men walking through and took a seat at the counter.

Darcy laughed and brought out her phone. "Oh, God. This is so going on Facebook. Smile." She pointed her phone to Thor and he just smiled as ordered.

"The usual please, Izzy." one of the men ordered.

"You missed all the fun out at the crater. Seeing some kind of satellite landed out in the desert." the other said.

"Yeah, we were having a good time with it until the feds showed up."

Cain's ears picked up on the conversation and her usually firm facial expression changed a bit. She generally looked surprised when she heard that federal agents showed up for just one satellite. "Excuse me," she called out to grab their attention. "Did you say that there was a satellite crash?" she asked the men but her voice at a tinge of worry in it.

The guys at the counter nodded. "Yeah."

"What did it look like? The satellite?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know anything about satellites, but it was heavy. I mean, nobody could lift it." he gave a laugh. "They said it was radioactive. I had my hands all over it,"

Thor's face suddenly tightened and turned serious. He abruptly got up from his seat and walked up to one of the guys at the counter. "Which way," he asked forcefully.

The guy was taken back when he saw Thor's large build hovering over him. "Oh, uh. 50 miles west of here." Thor turned around and started at the door. "I wouldn't waste my time. It looked like the whole army was coming when we left."

Thor didn't take the warning and walked right out the door. It made Cain raised a brown in confusion and wondered what got him all worked up. She quickly got up from her seat and speed-walked out after him.

Thor strutted along in the middle of the busy street where drivers honked their car horns at him for obstructing traffic.

Cain jogged around the corner after him. "Hey! Where are you going?" she called out.

"50 miles from here," he answered.

"Why?"

"To get what belongs to me."

Cain tightened her jaw and huffed at the vague answer. "Wait a moment. What do you mean? You own a satellite?"

"It's not what they say it is."

"Whatever it is, you can't get near it without the government pushing you away." she tried to explain to him but had a feeling that her words were falling off delf ears to this man. Cain groaned and physically stopped him in his spot by grabbing his shoulder tightly. Thor was taken back by her strength and turned around to hear her out. "Do you really believe that you can just casually waltz in, take...whatever it is, and walk out?"

Thor nodded. "Yes, and if you take me there now, I'll tell you everything you wish to know."

That was indeed tempting since Cain was a sucker for knowledge, things she didn't know and can't comprehend. It's what made this world all the more interesting when she would find things she never knew of, but Thor's remark sparked a question in her mind. "So you do know something?"

"Yes," Thor couldn't help to smile when he saw the curious gaze in Cain's lovely hazel eyes. They were quite charming to look at really. "and all the answers will be yours once I reclaim Mjolnir."

Cain actually had to pause on that one for the word to totally process through her head. "I'm sorry...Mjo-what?" According to Norse Gods, Mjolnir was the divine hammer of the God of Thunder...Thor. This was definitely driving her out of her comfort zone. She can imagine Jane most likely jump at the chance, but Cain wasn't quite ready to cross that path and frowned. "I"m sorry. Truly, I am."

Thor felt a bit disheartened when he got her answer. He tried his best to hide the disappointment on his face and kept his smile strong. "Then this is where we say goodbye," he said. He suddenly grasped Cain's hand and kissed the top of it. The gesture was foreign to her and made her jump a bit. "Thank you for your help, Miss Cain..."

"Bamlett." Cain cut in and met his gaze. "My name...is Cain Bamlett."

He felt his body unable to move at that moment like her eyes managed to freeze him in place. It felt like everything slowed down for him and he took that endless second to study every feature. Her long blonde hair gently blowing in the wind and sticking to her lips, her big hazel eyes that seem deep and eternal, and her slightly sun-kissed skin. She also had this towering confidence that made his 6'3 self feel small despite Cain being of average height.

She was strange and had these eyes that were very old looking for some reason too, but despite that all...she was still very beautiful in his eyes. He couldn't deny the reluctance he felt when Cain pulled her hand back.

Thor took a breath and smiled down at her. "Cain Bamlett, farewell."

She felt a strain on her heart. "I wish you well, Thor. I really do." She bowed her head a bit and turned away from him, walking off while Thor continued to stare at her back until she was out of sight, soon carrying on himself.

Tired. Cain just felt tired now as all the strength faded from her body. She paused in an alleyway between buildings and leaned her back against the cool stone. She took in a strained breath and lifted her chin to the sky with a pleading and desperate look on her face. "You...must be laughing at me right now. Tell me, does this not entertain you?" she went to rub her eyes but stopped when glossy black SUV's flew down the road right by her. Cain's eyes widen when she saw what looked to be Jane's equipment loaded into the back being taken away. "SHIELD?"

* * *

Cain waited for the glossy black SUV's to leave before making a rush back to the building that Jane was renting out. She found Jane, Erik, and Darcy sitting on the roof with their legs dangling over the edge.

"Everything's gone?" Cain called up to them.

Jane took in a disheartened breath. "Yes..."

"What about my backups?"

"They took those too. They took the backups of our backups. They were extremely thorough." Jane's voice dropped. "Who are these guys?"

Erik spoke up grimly. "I knew this scientist. The pioneer in gamma radiations. SHIELD showed up and wasn't heard from again."

Cain moved her hand around in her pockets and gripped her car keys tightly until the skin turned white. She tightened her jaw and looked over her shoulder at where she last saw Thor. She took in a deep breath and began to walk off with Jane calling out to her.

"Cain? Where are you going?"


	4. Layla

**LAYLA**

Cain strolled into the local library and looked around. She huffed to herself and scanned the aisles and racks of books until she came across what she was looking for. ' _Norse Mythology_ '. She rolled her eyes. "I must be going crazy," she mumbled and started to flip through the pages. Now, she seen crazy, even been crazy, the source of crazy. But this was at a whole new level for her that just didn't make any sense.

Cain stopped flipping through the book when she found the pages she was looking for. The chapter for the Bifrost Bridge, or the Rainbow Bridge, and Thor: The God of lightning. She stared at the old illustration of the god with blonde hair who wields a hammer. She scoffed and slammed the book and placing it back on the shelf. "It's crazy but...not impossible," Cain mumbled. She honestly thought she was done with surprises at this point in her life, but the world still manages to stir up some trouble. Then again, that was humanity and these people were notorious for messing with things that shouldn't be messed with. Cain was far from close-minded and was about open to all possibilities of 'crazy'.

The classy looking lady turned the heel of her leather boots and started to leave when something caught her eye. It was a simple hand-sized book at the far end of the rack beside her that had these words written on the spine: _Book of Genesis._ Cain's body physically jolted with what felt like electricity coursing through her veins when her eyes scanned across the bold black letters. Her heart was pounding in her ears and all sound around her drowned away to a mindless buzzing. She took in a shaky breath and lifted her trembling hands to the book and glided her fingers across the light blue frame before gripping it tightly. Gently...she gently pulled it out and took one single...simple look at the front of the cover before her skin turned a sickly shade of green. Her stomach turned on her and she was forced to cover her mouth with her hand, dropping the book. It smacked against the rack and made a loud clattering noise throughout the store, turning everyone's head to give Cain a confused stare.

Sick. Cain only felt sick at this time and her body just wouldn't stop shaking. "I gotta get out of here," she mumbled. So, as quickly as she could, she hauled out of the store like it was on fire and made a dash towards her car across the street.

The book was still on the ground with the front upwards in full view of what frightened her. It was of a famous painting by Peter Paul Rubel: _Cain Slaying Abel_.

* * *

Thor marched triumphantly into the local pet shop like he was on the most important mission of his life. "I need a horse," he demanded with his loud and rumbling voice.

The clerk looked up and gave the giant man a perplexed stare. "We don't have horses. Just dogs, cats, birds..." he trailed off, not sure of how to respond to Thor's odd demand.

"Then give me one of those large enough to ride."

The clerk isn't paid enough for this madness. He opened his mouth to explain in simple terms that they didn't have such an animal when this familiar-sounding music caught his attention. The catchy beat and amazing guitar rift that streamed out from a car's radio.

_~What'll you do when you get lonely~_

_~And nobody's waiting by your side~_

_~You've been running and hiding much too long~_

_~You know it's just your foolish pride~_

The clerk squinted his eyes and looked behind Thor to the outside. "Is that Layla?" he saw a car stationed right outside the shop with a woman leaning against the door of her Bugatti.

Thor turned his head and his eyes lit up like a young child on Christmas morning. He said nothing more to the clerk and hurried outside to meet the lovely woman. "I thought you said your name was Cain?" he asked.

Cain cocked a brow. She reached into the open window of her car that was still blasting Eric Clapton and shut it off. "I did. What are you talking about?"

This left Thor even more confused but he decided not to question it anymore. The grin on his face was still very present and got even bigger when Cain stepped up to him. "What are you doing here? Are you here to get a horse too?"

"Again. What are you talking about?" Cain shook her head. "No, no. I was here looking for you. Things...happened and Jane lost all her work, had it taken away from her. I was going to head over there but I thought I'd give you a ride while I'm at it."

Thor bowed his head to hide his goofy smile from being overjoyed. "I would appreciate it greatly."

* * *

"Why did that worker say your name was Layla?" Thor finally decided to ask since it was beginning to eat at him, though Cain was giving him quite the baffled look.

"Lay...what? No, no, no. My name is Cain, Thor. It always will be until the day I...die?" she said the last word like she wasn't so sure of it. "But...Cain L. Bamlett. Not a bad sounding name. I might use it in the future." She mumbled the last bit.

Thor still had no idea what she was talking about and despite her strange accent, it really did sound like she was speaking a completely different language to him. He didn't mind though, he found her voice really calming. It was deeper than he would expect her frail-looking body to contain, but It was quite powerful and a bit husky too.

He looked away from the beautiful woman and smiled very weakly. "I am sorry to do this to you, but you are quite brave."

"There is a fine line between brave and not caring anymore. It's not like they can do anything to me, and if they did...then it would be dangerous." her voice noticeably dropped in tone.

Thor looked back up at her hazel eyes that glimmered with...something odd and old. "You are a strange one."

"So I've been told."

"But not in a bad way, of course. You're fearless, brave, and just by looking at you...are strong in many ways, unlike anyone else in this realm."

Cain cocked a brow and gave him a glance. "I appreciate the compliment since it happens so rarely, but do not be deceived about what you see in front of you. Humanity...people are stubborn, brave, fearless, brilliant and above all...just beautiful creatures. They have more things to offer than they are capable of imagining, and I am looking forward to the day when they figure it out." her words were firm and true. "But if you want unique then..." a surprised smile suddenly crept to her red painted lips. "Then you should see my sisters then."

Thor wasn't expecting that and didn't think she would have siblings. "You have sisters?" Thinking about it though...this might be the first time he saw her smile, and it was lovely.

She nodded. "Yes. I have two younger sisters."

"And you get along?"

"Yes, for the most part. It's been a while since we've seen each other, aside from talking over the phone a couple of times a month, but I suppose we're still very tight-knit."

Thor smiled almost sadly. "I envy you, Cain. I wish I had that kind of relationship with my brother Loki."

Cain slowly creaked her head over to him when he said another Norse name. She raised an eyebrow. "You're the strange one..."

"Good strange or bad strange?"

Cain opened her mouth but didn't utter a word for a second. "I'll have you know...I'm a very, very good judge of character, and with you..." She looked him dead in the eyes. "I can tell you're not a bad guy."

Thor's eyes widen a bit. He felt a jolt in his chest when she spoke in a low and smooth voice that was so sure of herself. She was telling the truth, being generally honest with him.

"Now then..." Cain's voice dropped the silence. "You promised me answers."

He nodded his head. "What you seek, it's a bridge," Thor said.

"What kind of bridge are we talking about?"

"A Rainbow Bridge."

Once again he spoke words that matched up with the Norse book she checked out back in the library. "Is that so..." Cain looked closer out of the windshield and saw the sun setting. She predicted that they will get there at nightfall.

* * *

Cain quietly walked up to the hill in the dead of night and laid down for cover. The crash site was surrounded by a fence and guarded with armed men. There were lights shining down and guards patrolling the perimeter of the base. The inside looked like a quarantine site with a protective plastic cover around a bigger room where this mysterious 'satellite' was.

Cain looked up at the sky when she heard the sound of distant thunder. "That's no satellite crash. They would have hauled the wreckage away, not built a base there." She stared down at the site and sighed deeply. "It's gonna be a long night." She got up to walk down to the base when Thor suddenly pulled her back down. "What?"

"It's too dangerous for you to go down there." Thor took his coat off and laid it over Cain's shoulders. "You're going to need this."

"What?" Cain pulled her hands through the large sleeves of the warm coat. "Why?" she sniffed the humid air and looked to the pitch-black sky "Oh, I see now."

"Stay here," he told her. "Once I have Mjolnir, I will return the items they've stolen, all right?"

Cain gave him a look. "Do you really believe you can just waltz right in and take whatever they're holding and walk out?"

"No. I'm going to fly out." He got up and quietly walked down the hill as the thunder began to roll in and the lightning crackled in the dark sky.


	5. Screams Of Thunder

**SCREAMS OF THUNDER**

The air was cold and had a humid feeling to it. Soon enough drops of rain began to sprinkle on top of Cain's head, falling over her eyes and slipping down her cheeks. She looked up at the sky as a light showering began to fall. She sighed, glancing down at the crash site as Thor disappeared inside the plastic tubing. "This isn't going to end well," she foretold with a flat voice.

Cain sat down and just waited for the whole thing to end. Her body felt warm, she noticed because of the oversized coat that still lingered with his scent. She wrapped her arms up tightly and felt her heart beating with ease as this comforting warmness surrounded her thin body and sheltered her from the cold rain. She wouldn't deny though that her fingers were twitching with a tinge of anxiety. Cain fought the urge to go down there and just take Jane's things by force but that would also likely endanger Thor too, which was the last thing she wanted. He was an innocent man, as far as she knew, and if possible...she would want to witness who this man really was. If all the stories he had told her up till now were true.

* * *

The inside was dry and brightly lit with white plastic walls on each side of him. Thor cut around the corner and hoped that it might lead him to the hammer, but only found SHIELD guards on the other side. These SHIELD guards were built like linebackers but somehow Thor was able to grab them with his bare hands and swing them all around like a sack of potatoes. His strength far surpassed those who have trained their whole life and cut right through their defense like cutting through butter. He didn't care about who stood in his way or how many people tried to stop him. Thor had one thing on his mind and that was the hammer. He could sense it, practically feel it it was so close. It's what he wanted, what he craved and there was no force on earth that could stop him from getting to the prize that belonged to him.

Thor didn't waste his time on anything. Not sparing more than five seconds on these guards as he pushed on through the plastic tubing. He could finally catch a break against the constant on-slot of guards and walked into the main room of the site. He then saw it, his prize drenched in rain and lodged in stone. Beaming to himself, Thor began to walk over to it when something large shoved him to the ground. He looked up and saw a guard standing in his way, taller and bigger than himself and the rest of the ones before him.

Thor laughed a bit and stood up against the goliath. "You're big. Fought bigger."

He slammed his fist into the guard's face but was immediately kicked and punched back with much more force than before. They began to shove each other around before tripping off the side and falling through the plastic tubing and into the open. Thor felt the cold mud upon his skin but the adrenaline rush warmed him up fast, the rain even felt hot.

They both wrestled through the mud and rainwater upon the slippery slope till the guard got the upper hand and put Thor in a headlock. The guard about squeezed all the air out of him before he was finally able to elbow him hard in the side, easing his grip long enough to break free. Thor got to his feet quickly when the guard was disoriented and suddenly jumped up. He hiked his legs up in the air and slammed hit feet into his chest and made him tumble down the hill. Tired and covered in mud, Thor walked over to the guard and kicked him a single time in the face, pausing for a moment to make sure he wouldn't get back up.

Thor wiped the mud off his face that was slick upon his body like a second skin. The rain and slush drenched him to his very core but it was over, he thought. He could finally get his hammer and have this nightmare be over with. So, he strode with purpose back to the open room and saw his prize laying against the stone. Slowly, Thor grabbed the handle of the hammer and felt the familiar material brush against his skin. He pulled...but nothing, the hammer didn't even twitch from its stone hold. He placed much more strength and began to pull with all his might until he felt his muscles shaking.

It was this feeling that hit him hard that made the rain freeze his body. It was bitter and burned his veins red hot. Thor collapsed to his knees and looked up to the sky with his face twisting in horror. His lungs burst with this sorrow-filled scream that he only wished could shake the heavens.

* * *

Cain watched it all unfold before her very eyes, never once looking away from the man who struggled against this unknown conflict within his mind. Pain darted throughout her body as Thor's screams made of thunder rumbled the skies. No amount of rain could wash away the heavy feeling of dread in the air.

The lady took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with cold air and letting it back out. Cain watched as the frost faded away before she dropped her head, now regretting her decision to bring Thor along with her. "I shouldn't have brought him with me," she mumbled as his screams embedded themselves into her memory. She brought out her phone and jostled it between her hands. She stopped and began to dial a number. It rang for a moment before she spoke. "Erik? It's Cain. Can you...come to the local bar in an hour, and I'll meet you there...Yes, I'm fine. It's...just been a long night." She hung up her phone and began to head down the hill

* * *

"Alright. Fun's over, ladies. Get back to your post, the captain ordered his group of five men. They began to head back over to the gate they had to abandon because of Thor. If there was any bright side to this fretful night, is that the rain was finally clearing up.

The group walked up to the gate and paused for a moment when they heard the low sound of crunching gravel coming from the other side of the entrance. They turned around and peered through the fence at what it was and saw a dark figure emerging from the shadow. Cain walked with calmness and her face was flat with a hint of annoyance.

"What is it?" one of his men questioned. He lifted his hand above his eyes to see who it was. "It's...just a woman?" he said as Cain walked under the spotlight in view of the group of guards.

Cain's lovely golden hair was a bit damp from the rain and she wore an oversized coat that devoured her thin body. She didn't stop walking towards the gate and kept up with the same steady pace. In fact, she wasn't even looking at the guards, more like past them instead. Cain finally had no choice but to stop in front of the entrance as the guards tried to process what just happened. They didn't raise their guns to point it at her though since it was a single woman who didn't even look armed.

The captain was the first to speak up with his commanding voice. "Ma'am, this is a restricted area. I'm gonna need you to turn around and-"

"Where's Coulson?" Cain cut him off and looked past the group of imposing guards. "I know he's here. I can hear his voice. Bring him out. I need to talk to him." she demanded.

The captain took a moment to sigh. "Ma'am. I don't think you understand the situation. It's really dangerous out here. If you don't leave now, then we'll have no choice but to arrest you, and no one wants that, right?"

"I don't care what you want." her voice suddenly dropped and her hazel eyes abruptly darted down at him in a flash. The captain jumped a bit and felt his body quiver when she suddenly directed her attention towards him. "It doesn't matter to me what you're hiding inside. What I'm here for is the stuff you _stole_ from Jane Foster."

"Jane...what?" The captain could recall that they had to take the equipment from such a young woman this morning. "Ma'am. I'm not going to tell you this again. You're not going to get your things back, this conversation is over, and you need to le-" Cain's hand suddenly reached through the fence and grabbed him by his vest. She pushed him up against the grate with the strength of a full-grown man and he felt all the air in his lungs evaporate from his lungs. He looked up at the woman and immediately shrunk down when met with Cain's intimidating eyes.

His men immediately raised their guns to the insane woman and ordered her to release him. "Let him go now! We won't hesitate to shoot!" they barked but Cain didn't even respond to the threats.

Cain's eyes slowly scanned over the five armed men. She felt her fingers began to twitch but she quickly balled them up into a tight fist. "You would if you knew who I am. The one who's done asking questions is me. I want one answer...just one." She leaned in close to the captain and spoke in a hoarse and chilling whisper. "Where. Is. Coulson?"

The captain could tell that this girl held no fear. Her voice was firm and without hesitation, her body wasn't shaking and the more time dragged out the more annoyed Cain was becoming. Her eyes were what made him terrified though. They were deep, burning with this fire that seemed _more_ than a decade old. Black but beautiful, colorful but cold, breathtaking and dangerous. If you would use one word to describe them...then suppose that would be _endless_.

This woman wasn't playing any games, and the captain just knew that if his men pulled the trigger on her then...what would happen? Would she actually fall? Would it actually kill her?

His men began to count down till doomsday. "We'll shoot on 1! 5, 4, 3, 2..." they all paused for a moment but Cain was unmoving. With one final deep breath, they opened their mouth.

"STOP!" The voice that broke out wasn't the captain's, it was the voice of Jasper Sitwell who ran up to them. He was pale beyond measure and sweating through his expensive-looking suit. "Stop! Stop!" He forced all the men to lower their guns. "Do you want us all killed?!" he hissed through his teeth and breathed heavily from the sudden adrenaline rush that he couldn't keep up with. He finally turned back around to Cain. "Cain...please don't..." he begged.

The twitching in Cain's fingers finally stopped and she released the captain. The terrified man crawled away from the girl like she was the devil incarnate. "You're sweating quite a lot, Sitwell. You probably haven't moved this much in a while, huh?" Cain scoffed at him. "Running around like that as if the world was burning..."

"If it wasn't burning then it sure as hell was beginning to spark." Sitwell took in a deep breath but he still couldn't stop shaking.

Cain stared at him with her endless eyes, stone-faced, and generally just looking bored now. "Open the gate. Now."

Reluctantly, Sitwell walked over to the control panel that operated the gate and pulled a switch. The gate made a loud buzzing sound and slowly began to creak open. Cain stepped through and kept on walking towards the buildings.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

Sitwell walked with her after closing the gate back up. "Open communications. I heard your voice and about had a damn heart attack." He took another breath before groaning with frustration. "What do you want?"

* * *

Thor was brought to a white waiting room after the whole ordeal and was sat down on a chair. His eyes were lifeless and he didn't even lift his head when Coulson was questioning him. In fact, it felt like all sounds around him became hollow.

"You made some of the most highly trained professionals in the world look like a bunch of minimum-wage mall cops. That's hurtful." Coulson spoke to the silent man. "In my experience, it takes someone who's received similar training to do what you did to them. Why don't you tell me where you received your training. Pakistan? Chechnya? Afghanistan? No, you strike me more of the soldier of fortune type. Where was it? South Africa? Certain groups pay very well for a good mercenary like you. Who are you?"

Thor looked up finally. He was pale, dirty and his eyes held nothing, no spark of any kind. Emptiness, defeat, and tiredness are all that reflected in his blue eyes.

Coulson spoke again. "One way or another, we find out what we need to know. We're good at that." His phone began to buzz and he quickly looked down at it. "Don't go anywhere," he said and walked out of the room, but as the door closed, a man stood in front of Thor. His hair was black and he was dressed up in a nice suit.

Thor's eye rounded when he saw him. "Loki! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

"I had to see you." his brother said softly.

"What's happened?" Thor feared what the news will be. "Tell me, is it Jotunheim? Let me explain to Father."

"Father is dead" Loki cut in.

Thor was taken back and had to take a few moments to process what he just said. He spoke with a single cracked word. "What?"

"You're banishment, the threat of a new war, It was too much for him to bear." he looked at Thor in the eyes. "You mustn't blame yourself. I know that you loved him. I tried to tell him so, but he wouldn't listen."

Thor hunched over as tears escaped his eyes.

"It was so cruel to put the hammer within your reach, knowing that you could never lift it." Loki spoke, "The burden of the throne has fallen on me now."

Thor lifted his head, hopeful. "Can I come home?" he said with his glassy eyes.

"The truth with Jotunheim is conditional upon your exile."

"Yes, but couldn't we find a way..."

"And Mother has forbidden your return," Loki said but firmly. "This is goodbye, Brother. I'm so sorry."

Thor shook his head and bit down on his lips. "No. I am sorry." He took a deep breath. "Thank you for coming here."

Loki stared at him. "Farewell." He turned around just as the door opened once again, but Loki was already gone.

"Goodbye," Thor spoke softly.

Coulson stared at him. "Goodbye? I just got back."

Agent Sitwell suddenly peaked his head into the door. He was still pale and visibly shaken like he has seen a ghost. "Sir. He's, ah, got a visitor, and..."

Coulson looked puzzled. "What?"

Sitwell shifted uncomfortably in his spot. "It's her," he spoke with the intention of Coulson already knowing.

Slowly, Coulson's whole face grew concerned and almost nervous as he pictured who was waiting for him. "Okay," he said softly and looked back to Thor. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Cain waited quietly in another white waiting room with a mirrored door in front of her. Her face was relaxed and she waited patiently with her feet propped up on the edge of the table and arms crossed over her chest. She stared down at the mirrored door till it opened and Coulson walked in. Cain's face hardened immediately.

The agent slowly sat down in a chair across from her. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Cain. I was busy."

Cain turned her head away. She was quiet for a long time and just stared off into the empty space, but when she spoke, her voice was low and rumbling. "I was just...enjoying what New Mexico had to offer, and here you are ruining it with...your people," she said as her lovely face contorted with disgust. "I heard you were in Malibu for a while. Did you see Abel?"

Coulson smirked and nodded his head. "I did. Your sister said you would be here. She wanted me to say 'Hi' to you."

Cain lifted a brow and scoffed, hiding the smile that was creeping to her face. "Of course she would. Tell me, is she still hanging around Stark?"

He nodded. "Doesn't look like she'll be leaving his side for a while. They're quite...you know."

Cain shifted her body forward and groaned. "I never did like that man. I don't think he's good for her."

"She's probably good for him though. Your sister's compassionate enough."

"Abel is the very definition of compassionate." Cain already knew about the relationship that her sister had with the famous Tony Stark. She didn't like the idea of her sister being in love with that playboy, but she won't press it since he seems to be treating her kindly. She will admit this though, she's not looking forward to the time where she will have to meet him. Cain sighed and leaned her head against her hand. "I'm not here to talk about my sister's questionable taste in men."

"I know." Coulson nodded. "You're here for Jane Foster's things and for that guy we have in right now, Mr..."

"Donald Blake," Cain lied. "That's his name."

Coulson lifted his brow. "His name is Donald Blake?"

"Dr. Donald Blake." she corrected.

"You have dangerous friends, Cain. Am I supposed to think he's someone normal since you of all people are involved?"

Cain stared at Coulson like he was crazy. "There is no one else like me, Coulson, and you know it," she said firmly. "He's a friend of Jane's. He was...distraught when he found out you took all his research, years of his life down the drain. I don't blame him for coming out here and roughing you guys around. A big faceless organization running in and ruining someone's life." Coulson gave Cain a look but she didn't stop. "What? Do you expect me to be nice to people like you... after what you've done to my family?"

"That doesn't explain how he has managed to tear through our security."

A smirk slid to her lips. "You should really stop overvaluing yourselves. Do you truly believe...all because you have a fancy suit and a big badge...that you run the planet?" Cain's voice made the earth quake.

Coulson stared into Cain's eyes for any kind of answer that will tell him who Thor was, but her eyes were way too endless and flooded with so many different kinds of emotions to decipher. He knew Cain was lying but...she wasn't trying to hide it either. Coulson knew that he couldn't do anything to Thor with Cain in town, he was practically untouchable. He won't risk it, not with all his men here. He knew her history and what she had done in the past. That was a gamble he knew he would lose in the worst way possible. He will have to cut his losses with this.

* * *

The door to Thor's room opened up and Cain walked in with Coulson trailing behind her. He had a defeated look in his eyes. Thor looked up and for the first time in an hour, life flooded back into the blues of his eyes. They sparkled like a child and glimmered like thousands of stars. He smiled weakly and let out a laugh upon seeing Cain and that made her heart tense a bit.

"You really love to cause trouble." Cain sighed deeply and kneeled down in front of him. She lifted her hands to the sides of his face to look at the bruises he got when he fought with the SHIELD agents. Thor noticed that her hands were very warm and it set his heart at ease. "Don't worry. I'm here to take you home."

It tugged on his heart when she said that and a bitter feeling came over him but for only a second, but truly...if it could be possible, he would want to listen to her voice for eternity. It was his mysterious sense of comfort and hope. Looking into her eyes...he truly felt like everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Darkness still held the skies and the stars had disappeared behind the thick clouds. The moon was still present and glowed bright enough to shine down on the site with its pale radiance. Cain and Thor walked out and down the stairs with all eyes on them, staring them down like a hawk.

Cain looked over her shoulder at Coulson. He stood at the top of the stairs looking down at them. "I mean it, Coulson. I'm renting out a space for Jane while I'm here and I want all the things you stole returned there tomorrow," she ordered harshly and mumbled the last words under her breath. "Cause God knows you won't get out of New Mexico fast enough before I find you."

Coulson slowly nodded. "Cain!" he then suddenly called out to her. Cain stopped but still didn't turn around to face him. His next words though..he later regretted. "Would you like me to say 'Hi' for you to your _other_ sister?"

Cain's eyes narrowed and she finally looked over her shoulder at him. A cold blast of air washed over everyone on the site as she glared daggers at him. "Coulson...if you say another word..." she spoke with a voice void of any kind of compassion. It dripped with coldness and menace. "You'll make me angry."

Coulson's heart rate began to skyrocket and break the speed limit. He began to get lightheaded as his heart pounded against his chest till his ribs started to ache. He couldn't breathe for would felt like an eternity, and when he did, it came out in shallow gasps of air. He didn't want to look anymore. He didn't want to look at her eyes that could kill a man with a single glare. He looked away and waited for Cain and Thor to leave.

Cain turned around and continued to walk out of the site with Thor beside her. She walked past a table and noticed Jane's journal, completely intact. She snatched it up and walked past the gate to the free empty space.

"Where are we going?" Thor asked.

"We're meeting up with Erik at the local bar," Cain mumbled while flipping through the journal.


	6. Guilt Can Kill People

**GUILT CAN KILL PEOPLE**

Cain occasionally took a few glances at Thor as they drove in silence down the long road. He was as silent as the grave and haven't spoken a single word to her since they left the compound. The sadness in his eyes was prominent though and that worried her. "Are you cold?" she asked and flicked on the heat so he won't be cold.

Thor jumped in shock when he suddenly began to feel the radiation coming from the vents in front of him. Slowly, the heat began to relax him and it set his heart at ease. A glimmer of hope took the shape of a small smile, though his eyes still looked discouraged and exhausted. "Thank you..." he said in a weak whisper.

Cain took a deep breath and looked on through the gloom as she drove through the empty lands. The headlights were dim but she could still see the outside world clearly. "Look, I know you're troubled, but everything's going to be fine, okay?" She wasn't sure what to say to him that will heal his mental state, but very slightly...she saw a smile creep to his face.

He was still able to smile gently at her when he looked up. "You're too kind...but I'm not worthy of such things," he said sadly

Cain disagreed and shook her head at his remark. "Being worthy has nothing to do with being kind to a person who needs it. Down in the muck...we do what we can to help others out, and you're no different. So...if you need someone to talk to then I'm here to listen." she offered.

Thor continued to smile but dropped his head back down to his lap. "I do not wish to upset you but...I don't think you can understand how it feels." He was then taken back when he felt a gentle hand suddenly touch his shoulder, patting him lightly. Thor looked up and saw Cain looking at him with understanding eyes.

"Believe me, I probably already lived through it." She patted him a few times and looked back to the road, seeing the faint glimmer of the town lights in the distance.

* * *

"You're impossible." Erik waved Cain and Thor over when he saw them walk through the doors. "I thought you were smarter than this."

The bar was full to the brim with loud, drunken people and chattering friends. The air was musty and had an overwhelming smell of booze that would make anyone's head swim if they stayed inside longer than an hour. Erik was already starting to feel tipsy since he's been there for a while waiting for them.

Cain strolled over to the counter and sat down. Thor took a seat beside her. "Don't worry. Everything turned out alright," she said and pulled off the oversized coat and handed it back to Thor. "Here."

"Thank you," Thor said and pulled it back on, noticing that it had an intoxicating smell of vanilla on it now.

Erik about had a heart attack when Cain called him in the middle of the night and he knew, he just knew that she went to that crash site. "What were you thinking?"

Cain lifted her hand to stop him. "Everything went totally fine. Smooth like a rock over water." She snapped her fingers and suddenly whipped out Jane's journal to reveal her spoils of a one-sided war. "And I got Jane's things back."

Erik's eyes widen tremendously. "What?" he exclaimed and snatched it out of her hand to actually confirm it was real. He was left speechless, his mouth gaping open like a fish out of water. "How did you manage to pull that off?"

Cain took back the journal and set it down on the table. "Erik, you're looking at the world's biggest string-puller." She lifted her hand up and waved the bartender over for a beer. "What about you?" she asked Thor.

Thor's eyes showcased that emptiness once more. "You know, I had it all backwards. I had it all wrong."

"It hurts when you don't have all the answers." Cain grabbed a beer bottle that was placed in front of her and took the bitterness down her throat.

Thor clenched his hands tightly. "Cain, for the first time in my life, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do." he pleated and looked at her, hoping for answers.

She gently set her beer back down. "Guess we do have something in common," she spoke and Thor looked slightly shocked. "The feeling of not knowing what you need to do...I have that constantly and been white-knuckling it almost all my life. I spent most of my time traveling because I _don't_ have a goal, a plan, or a purpose. But if I learned anything in my long life...then it would be to take things slow and go one day at a time until you figure out what you want to do." she said.

Thor gave a short and weak laugh. "Thank you for what you've all done." Her confident words filled him with a bit of strength when something caught him off guard about how she said that. Cain made it out like she's older than she looks, despite only looking 30, maybe 31. He pondered on that for a moment till Erik spoke.

"I don't know if you're delusional or if you're pulling some kind of con. I don't care," he said.

"Erik..." Cain began but he quickly waved her off so he could finish.

"Cain is..." he began. "She's someone you can't pull a fast one on, okay? She's like a human lie detector. You can't trick her any way possible."

Thor could see where this was going. "I never had any intention of fooling her." he tried to say

"You won't be able to even if you tried." Erik joked. "I trust her judgment because it's always right. Always," he said confidently and Cain dropped her head into her hands.

She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'll buy you all a free round if we can drop this conversation." She held her hand up again. "Three Boilermakers."

The bartender set three sterns of beer in front of them. Cain and the boys picked up the stern and they clanked the glasses together. They leaned their heads back and started to down the stern of beer. Erik and Thor gave each other a look as they leaned their heads further and further back, competition on the horizon. That was until they looked back at Cain and saw her leaning so far back, she had to grab the table to make sure she wouldn't fall. They stopped what they were doing and just stared at her, impressed.

* * *

Jane was currently living in a camper and was sat down in bed when she heard knocking on her door. Jumping from the shock, she ripped the covers off and ran to open it up. She was surprised to see Cain on the other side with Erik slung over Thor's shoulder.

Jane gasped. "Oh, my God. Is he okay?"

Thor laughed and walked up into the RV behind Cain. "He's fine. Not injured at all." He accidentally knocked Erik's head against the wall when he turned around. "I'm sorry, my friend." He was more of a giggling mess than Erik was. Cain looked completely sober.

"What happened?"

Cain groaned with defeat and leaned against the open door frame. "We had a drinking contest and Erik tried to out drink me. This right here..." she gestured her head to the half-conscious man who giggled every so often. "Is the end result."

Jane frowned. "Again? Did he learn his lesson last time?"

Thor moved over to the bed and laid Erik down. "You mean they've done this before?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, around the time we all first met. Cain not only drunk Erik under the table but...the whole bar as well." She glanced at Cain with puzzled eyes.

She rubbed the back of her head. "I keep telling you guys but you never listen. It's impossible for me to get drunk." Cain groaned and reached into the inside of her coat and pulled out Jane's journal. She didn't even give an explanation and just handed it over to her. "Here."

Jane stared down at the journal in her hand as her brain tried to process what she was looking at. Slowly, her eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped open. She gasped and huffed a few times, looking at Cain then back down at her journal, the thing she thought she would never see again, all her life's work tied up in a few hundred pages...now back where it belonged. "What...I." She looked back up to Cain. "How...how did you get this back?" she exclaimed.

"It's not the only thing I got back. Your things will be returned in the morning too. You don't have to worry about starting over." she said.

Jane was at a loss for words as delight swelled her heart. She looked like she was close to crying as she flipped through the pages to make sure everything was in order. No words were able to come from her mouth that would make sense. She then suddenly jumped at Cain and tightly wrap her arms around her thin body. "Oh, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Cain slowly nodded her head and patted Jane on the back. "You don't have to worry about those people anymore, okay? You can continue your work with no problem."

"You sure?" Jane hesitated.

She scoffed. "Yes. I am sure." She bit down on her lips and looked back at Erik to make sure he was alright. "Sorry for all the trouble, but...can't you watch him for tonight?" She gestured to Erik who laid past out on the bed.

Jane looked back at him. "Yeah. Don't worry, I'll look out for him." she nodded.

Cain smiled a bit. "Thanks." She made a quick gesturing motion to Thor that told him that they were leaving. The giant-of-a-man nodded and walked out of the RV. "I'll see you tomorrow." She gave a single wave to Jane and left, shutting the door behind her. Once the door was closed, she leaned against it and sighed, deeply exhausted. It was a stressful night and she was now starting to feel that fatigue, mentally of course. The cold air did provide a sense of comfort and the silent night wasn't rattling her brain as much as daytime would with all the obnoxious sounds.

Thor looked at her a bit concerned. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cain dropped her head, digging her hands into her pockets to play with her car keys. "It's just been a long night. Kinda drained me a little bit." She dragged her voice out in a rough whisper.

Thor's eyes held a tinge of guilt. "I'm sorry to have brought you trouble. That was not my intention."

A weak smile came to her dark red lips. "I know you didn't mean to bother anyone. You're stressed, I can see that." she pointed out.

He shrugged his shoulders and clapped his hands down at his side. "I suppose I am."

Cain made a movement with her head. "Do you wish to take a walk, just to clear your mind?" she said and saw Thor's face brighten up.

"Will you join me?" he said hopefully. Thor wanted to lengthen his time with her as much as he could. He was desperate for it.

"If you don't mind my company." She pushed off the RV.

Thor was beaming at the opportunity to stay with her as they began to walk down the long empty streets that didn't have a single person around. It was so quiet that it made his mind wander a bit around the time they were back at the compound. It was about the last words Coulson spoke to Cain before they left.

_"Would you like me to say 'Hi' for you to your other sister?"_

He had never heard her voice drop that low before and it was truly dangerous sounding, like a promise she would _actually_ fulfill if Coulson dared to utter another word. Thor didn't know what to make of it and was left with yet another question to cycle through his head. He didn't like the odd feeling that began to bubble up in his chest the longer he stared at her. Down to her deep red lipstick and the flickering street light casting shadows over her face...Cain actually had an ominous and mysterious look about her that he hadn't noticed until this moment.

"I'm glad you're alright." Cain began, throwing Thor out of his train of thought. "You really worried me with what you did."

Thor frowned and looked away from her to get his mind off those odd thoughts about her family. "I understand. You've been so kind to me and I have been far less grateful."

"You actually haven't been much of a bother." she shrugged.

Thor turned to her, hopeful. "Really?"

"Oh, yes. Believe me, I've lived with people worse than you." Cain huffed with her lips turning up into a smirk.

"Are you talking about your sisters?" he asked.

Once again, that lovely smile appeared, showing off her beautiful eyes and glowing sun-kissed skin. "It's not easy being the eldest of three sisters," she said, a slight giggle escaping from her lips. "Watching out for them, making sure they don't get into trouble. I really am my sisters' keeper."

Thor found himself staring at this woman's captivating smile that radiated with pride from talking about her sisters. He did feel a bit jealous because her relationship sounded better than his. "I envy you," he said.

Cain shook her head. "No, you don't."

"But I do, truly. You're confident, strong, smart, beaut-" Thor realized what he was going to say and stopped himself. His face slowly began to heat up with embarrassment and he quickly looked away, smiling. "You're an astonishing person," he said...but noticed a dark shift began to accumulate in Cain's eyes.

Her hazel eyes darkened suddenly and her voice dropped. "I'm not though," she said. "I'm far from that."

Thor stopped walking and stood there for a moment to process what she had just said. "What?" he whispered by accident.

Cain spoke with her rough voice made of shards of glass. "I'm not a good person." It had a feeling of edge to it and it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "I have done things, and I still..." She shook her head and looked down at the ground.

"We've all done things we're not proud of, but that doesn't stop-" Thor tried to console her but she cut in harshly, snapping her head back up to him

"You're not getting it, Thor." Her voice grew in volume. "What I mean is...I've done unspeakable things to save myself from the constant feeling of guilt," Cain spoke, but then looked taken back by her own harsh words. Her eyes grew wide with shock and she gasped a little.

"Guilt?" Thor questioned her. "What did you do...to have such strong feelings of guilt?"

Cain opened her mouth, her voice beginning to crack. "My biggest failure." Taking in a shaky breath, she continued. "I made a promise...to my sisters on the day they were born. I promised them that... that I would always protect them, but I failed. I broke that promise...in the worse way possible."

Thor was left with many questions racing around in his head but he was so surprised that only one came from his mouth. "What happened?"

Cain's lips continued to quiver. "Me," she said roughly and saw Thor's eyes grow wide with disbelief. "I do what I can to make up for... _that_ day but it's still not good enough. Guilt..." she had to take a breath to calm down a bit. "Guilt can kill people...and if not, then it sure makes you want to die." She turned her body away, no longer wanting to talk about this anymore. She just wanted to go to bed. "I think I'm actually going to head in for the night."

"Wait." Thor grabbed Cain by her upper arm when she walked past him. He could feel her shaking under his grasp but he held onto her urgently. "Cain, I may not know what you've done in the past...but I know you're still trying to make things better. Your sister, you talk about them so fondly, with pride..." He then took both his hands and held her shoulders firmly so she would only look at him. "I know...you're not as bad as you make yourself out to be."

Cain's eyes slowly grew wide as Thor moved his hands further up till they held the sides of her face. She swallowed hard as he gazed intensely at her. It made her body freeze up and unable to move. Then again, she really didn't have the desire to part from him. Being surrounded by this warmth was so overwhelmingly new that it hypnotized her. "Thor?" she breathed.

Thor could smell the natural vanilla scent coming off her and found himself wanting more. He moved his fingers to entangle themselves in her soft hair as he grew closer. He could feel her hot breath and couldn't pull away now. He wanted more, he longed to know more. He wanted to know what it felt like, what it tasted like. He wanted it just as much as Cain did as she began to lean in as well. She closed her eyes to allow herself to be swallowed by this beautiful dream. Cain began to feel her lips brush against his when this jolt of lightning flushed her skin and caused this cruel memory to flood into her mind.

* * *

_Cain glanced over her shoulder, eyes once hazel now swelling with insanity and disgust. It flooded throughout every orifice of her being, totally disfiguring not just her mind, but her body as well until she was unable to control herself._ _Abel couldn't even recognize her dear older sister anymore. Fear froze up her joints and she was locked in place to face this creature alone._ _With eyes as mad as the devil and as clouded as a storm, Cain whirled her body around and roughly grabbed Abel's arm to hold her in place. She then swung around a rock that was in her hand...and everything went black._

_An ungodly scream was echoed out through those woods. Animals scampered away from the horror and the sky became clouded with every muddled gray there was. That day, not even God himself wanted to witness or hear what transpired in those dark woods._

* * *

Cain's eyes flashed open and a small gasp escaped her mouth. Her skin bolted with electricity and she quickly backed away from him. She had to put her hand up against his chest to keep him back because of the reluctance that washed over her. She even felt his beating heart racing under her palm.

Thor looked just as surprised as she did, though slightly hurt as well. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." He backed away out of her arms reach and felt her warm hand slip from his chest.

Cain's face suddenly regained that stoic and calm composure it once had, like a mask being put back on. "You're not the problem," she spoke in a low and smooth voice. "It's just...I'm not worth it." She slowly shook her head and backed away.

Cain said nothing more to Thor and turned around sadly. She began to head back to the building and left Thor in the streets. He wanted to say something but seeing her back get further away from him left him feeling dejected. He opened his mouth plenty of times but no words could come out. Thor could do nothing more but watch this woman's figure melt into the darkness.


	7. The Night That Should've Never Ended

**THE NIGHT THAT SHOULD'VE NEVER ENDED**

The sun appeared high in the sky the next morning with the smell of freshly cooked bacon and eggs in the air that Thor himself worked hard to make. Jane helped him, of course, to make sure he didn't burn down the whole town, but she was generally surprised though to see how little help he actually needed. Yeah, he's cooking the simplest breakfast there was but she was just taken back by how capable he really was.

Erik turned and looked around the kitchen. "Where's Cain? She's usually the one to wake up early and cook for all of us." he pointed out since Cain wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Yeah...she makes the best french toast. That stuff's addicting." Darcy groaned cause she was really looking forward to Cain's cooking. It was the only reason why she would get up this early in the morning.

Jane walked over to the table with a pan full of cooked eggs. "I don't know. I guess she just decided to sleep in?" she shrugged and began to pour some on to Darcy's plate.

"That doesn't seem like her," Erik mumbled. "I guess she's just tired and slept in by accident."

Thor clenched his hands tightly at Erik's remark and just stared at the bubbling bacon that spat hot grease out at him. He took in a nervous breath and glanced over to Cain's bedroom door on the other side of the room. He hasn't heard a single sound coming from inside at all since he woke up, and Thor wasn't going to deny that he was worried a bit because of what happened last night. He couldn't help to think that he was the cause of this irregularity in her schedule, speculating that he might have damaged his relationship with her because he prayed too much into her personal life, digging up memories that should've stayed buried.

"If she doesn't eat now then she won't later," Darcy said, sparking an idea in his head.

"I'll do it!" Thor said a bit too eagerly than he would've liked. Everyone turned to him and he quickly backtracked and mellowed out his words so he wouldn't sound weird again. "I mean...uh, I can bring her a plate, maybe something to drink too?"

Jane bit the inside of her cheek, not sure if it was a good idea to wake her up or let her sleep. "Well...if you want." she shrugged, walking over to the fridge and bringing out a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice (That Cain did herself the other day). "You can bring her some orange juice too," she said and pulled out a glass to pour it into.

"Will she like it?" Thor asked, a bit hesitant because he didn't know what Cain liked.

"She's not picky." Jane never recalled Cain ever being displeased with what she cooked so she's assuming that this is fine.

They both quickly got to work and whipped up a fresh batch of bacon and eggs for their missing mysterious lady. Thor walked over to the bedroom and waited for Jane to open it before walking inside. The door softly clicked behind him and he was immediately surrounded by the darkness. His eyes quickly adjusted and he finally saw the inside of Cain's bedroom. It was surprisingly bare with gray walls and white carpets, but what really surprised him was that there were no pictures on the walls or tables. The room altogether looked very clean and organized, aside from the clothes Cain wore from last night still scattered across the floor.

Thor spotted a large bed up against the wall with a small lump under the covers. He could feel his heartbeat pressed up against his ears the closer he approached and finally saw Cain's lovely and relaxed face caressed against the pillow. Her breathing was soft and her chest moved up and down gently. Her lips were slightly parted too and he couldn't help but look at them, his mind flooding back to last night from the moment his lips brushed against her's, recalling how soft they were. The natural scent of her body made his heartbeat intensify too the more he thought about it.

He kneeled down in front of the bed and gently patted her shoulder, shaking her a bit. "Cain. Cain?" Thor spoke gently but loud enough so she would hear.

Cain groaned and slowly cracked open her blurry hazel eyes. They adjusted quickly and saw Thor standing beside her bed but the first thing she smelled though was the bacon. "What time is it?" She rolled onto her back and sat up in a slouching manner, her hair being a glorified golden mess. She grabbed her phone to check the time. "9:30...?" she mumbled in a sleepy voice.

Thor laid her food down on the bedside table and took a seat on the edge of the mattress. "I, uh...made you a plate." He was a bit nervous because he wasn't sure how she would react, but slowly, he saw her eyes fall over to the breakfast plate.

A sleepish and tired smile rolled to her lips. "Guess I didn't wake up on time to cook for everyone, huh?" she mumbled. "Thank you, Thor. I really appreciate it."

Thor inhaled with ease as Cain took small portions into her mouth. He used the time to look around the room at all its emptiness and noticed something on her bedside table. It was a thick hardcovered book with a deep green cover. The title was unknown to him though since it was in an unknown language. It honestly just looked like a lot of squiggly lines to him. "What's that?" He leaned over and picked it up. The pages were a bit frayed and it had an old musty smell to it. Thor could tell that it was very old and definitely had some weight to it with how many pages there were.

Cain held the glass of juice up to her lips but stopped to answer him. "Oh, that? It's a book I read sometimes to have a good laugh."

Thor was confused yet curious at the same time. "Is it amusing?"

"Most people see it as religious, but I see it as a hoax."

"What's it called?" he stared at the unknown title.

"Ah..." Cain hesitated. "the Book of Genesis."

"Genesis? What is it about?" He then saw Cain snickering a bit and immediately went back to her orange juice.

"I'll tell you when you're older,"

Thor cracked a smile. "I can assure you that I am older than you,"

"Sure you are..." she said and indulged herself in her meal to get off the topic.

Thor just took a minute to just watch her eat and actually felt proud of himself that he managed to make something that she liked, despite Jane saying that Cain was never picky in the first place. It satisfied him though to watch her eat every last bite of the food he made. He then slowly began to frown which caught her attention.

"Are you alright?" Cain asked him.

"Last night, I..." He took a moment to gather his words. "You were in a vulnerable place and I...I felt like I took advantage of that."

Cain's face didn't change expression at all but there was a subtle shift in her eyes that told him she knew what he was talking about. She could remember from last night and their...'almost-kiss' they somewhat share and the sensation she felt when it happened. It was like a bolt of lightning flashing through her veins with butterflies swarming her stomach. Her whole body was tingling to the point that she was shaking from the new experience.

"Oh..." she said and tapped her nails against the glass. "About that. I think the one who was at fault was me. I shared a bit too much information than I should've and I would be thankful if you...forgot all I said."

Thor was taken back and generally looked shocked. "Cain...I-"

"They're my own problems, Thor. I have had more than enough time to think it over," she said and took the book that was still in Thor's hand. "I won't forgive myself for what I've done and I don't plan on forgetting it either. That's just the fact of life. You mess up and you just have to live through it, carry it around until the bitter end..." She suddenly had a distant and exhausted look in her eyes. "Which is what I'm going to end up doing." Cain took a deep breath.

"But-"

"Which is why you should forget it," she said firmly and looked him dead in the eyes. Her face hardened up and Thor could no longer see a single emotion past her calm composure. It felt like she had totally pushed herself away emotionally, like a 'mask' being put back on her face that she had momentarily taken off. "I think I'm actually going to sleep in a bit more if you wouldn't mine," she said and looked away.

Thor had to take a moment to react to her properly after the bombshell she had just dropped on him. "Yes, of course," he said and quickly gathered up the glass and plate. "Goodnight, Cain Bamlett."

Cain tipped her head towards him and turned around in bed. She pulled the covers over her body and didn't utter another word more to him. Thor stared at her one last time before slowly closing the door behind him.

Erik looked up when he saw Thor standing in the doorway with an empty plate and glass in his hands. "You were in there for a couple of minutes. She ate all of it?" he asked.

Thor was quiet for a bit. "Uh, yes."

Erik frowned when he noticed his strange demeanor. "Is everything alright?"

Thor covered his blunder up with a smile and went over to the sink to put everything down. "Yes, of course. She's just tired. That's all." He stood still for a moment as everything washed over him, reflecting on Cain's words. "Um...may I ask you something?"

Erik cocked a brow. "Something bothering you?"

"Oh, no...I'm just wondering..." Thor walked over to the table and took a seat next to Jane. "Do you know what the Book of Genesis is?" His expression turned serious while staring at Erik.

Erik's face scrunched up with confusion since it was such a random topic. "Genesis?" He pondered the name for a bit. "Well...It explains how the world was created and how humans came to be."

Thor frowned and looked more confused than before. "The world?" he asked.

"Well," Erik shrugged. "Theoretically it's not true since there is actually evidence that tells us we came into existence roughly...350,000 years ago, But Genesis is an old tale that tells us about the first humans, Adam and Eve. They lived in a garden known as Eden, but they broke the rules set for them and were ultimately kicked out. Later, Eve gave birth to humanity's firstborn, Cain."

There was a visible change in Thor's eyes as he choked on the very air he breathed. "Cain?" he spoke quietly. He felt his muscles began to clench up and his throat goes dry like the outside desert.

"Obviously it isn't our Cain. They just so happen to share the same name. Genesis Cain had another brother by the name of Abel, whom he was very jealous of. So one day, he took his brother into the woods and killed him in cold blood, also committing the world's first murder." he said solemnly. "That's roughly what Genesis is about though."

Thor felt his head began to throb with questions rolling in one after another. It even began to upset his stomach with just how much the Book of Genesis revolved around Cain and her story from last night. Thinking about it though, there might be a reason why she doesn't talk about her family, and why she had suddenly began to shut down on him. He didn't know what to think. Just when he thought he was beginning to understand her, something else just seems to come up and debunk is theories.

* * *

Cain tossed and turned around in bed for a couple of minutes until her body finally decided to relax. She felt herself slipping into a dream-like state as all the voices from outside began to drown away to nothing but a mindless buzzing. Her breathing slowed down and she dank deeper and deeper into the covers when...her eyes snapped open and she quickly shot up in bed to the sound of a loud cracking noise that made the sky rumble. It wasn't lightning. She knew what that sounded like. This sound...wasn't normal.

Cain glanced off to the window and her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

* * *

Thor picked his head up to the sound of loud knocking coming from the glass window. Staring into the room were three men and a woman all grinning ear to ear at him. They wore what looked to be armor or leather pieces and their clothes looked beyond out of date too. From the battle axes and swords in their hand, you would think they came from a totally different era.

"Found you!" the bearded one, Valstagg shouted enthusiastically with a big goofy grin on his face.

Erik, Jane, and Darcy all dropped their mugs at the same time and were just baffled by the sight of the four strangers that looked like they all stepped out of a different time stream. In an instant, Thor's wacky stories all started to make sense to them now.

Thor's face brightened up. "My friends!" He ran over and hugged them tightly the moment they walked in.

Erik stared in shock. "I don't believe it," he mumbled.

Valstagg offered his hand. "Excuse me. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three." he introduced kindly to the shellshocked humans.

Thor patted them on the shoulder and smiled. "My friends, I never been happier to see anyone, but you should not have come."

"We're here to take you home," Fandrall said.

Thor's smile then suddenly fell. "You know I can't go home. My father is...dead because of me, and I must remain in exile."

Lady Sif looked baffled by his claim. "Thor, your father still lives."

Just then the bedroom door busted open and vibrated on impact against the wall. Cain swiftly rushed out of her room, past everyone, and straight out the door to the streets. The calm and composed mask on her face was still present but distress was in her hazel eyes like a forming storm. She wasn't even dressed properly and only wore a gray tank top, dark jeans, and the boots from last night.

Thor didn't like where this was going. "Cain?" he called out and followed her outside. "Cain!"

"Cain? What's wrong?" Jane immediately hurried out the door as everyone followed suit.

Cain slowed down to a halt in the middle of a growing crowd of curious onlookers. They were all looking out to the desert at what looked to be a dark cloud that swept down to the earth. She looked down to the ground and glided her hands across the surface, feeling it vibrate under her fingertips, but what really caught her off guard was that they felt like heavy footsteps getting closer and closer to the town. "Somethings coming." Her voice grew cold and serious. Her eyes scanned the town at every soul living in it and she began to make an estimate of how long they had left till that _thing_ came.

"Cain...I need you to leave." Thor gripped her shoulder tightly and felt his heart drop to the ground the longer he stared out into the desert, expecting to see something coming upon the horizon soon.

Cain squinted her eyes and honestly looked confused. "What about you?" she asked and looked up at him.

"I'm staying here." His carefree facade had fallen and something different was showing in his eyes. It was like he knew exactly what was coming.

"Thor's going to fight with us!" Vostagg said with an excited smile.

He walked up to his old friends and patted them on their shoulders. "My friends, I'm just a man. I'll only be in the way, or worse, get one of you killed." Thor took a glance to Cain and sucked in a deep breath. "But I can help get everyone to safety."

"Than you better listen to me for that to happen." Cain suddenly spoke up and crossed her arms over her chest. Everyone turned to her, listening to her commanding and assured voice that made it sound like she did this before. "We have roughly 30 minutes to get this town cleared of people. Start by dragging everyone out of the building, by force if you have too. Gather trucks, vans, anything that can carry more than four people and start loading them up." She clapped her hands loudly to get everyone moving. "That's it! Go! It's a small town so get moving now!"

They evacuated the diners, took people out of offices, swept up small children, and loaded almost everyone in the back of trucks and vans just as Cain instructed. Everything was going smoothly and the number of people in town was dwindling quickly. Cain made sure to remind everyone of the time they had left, and that too was running out fast. They had less than 10 minutes now and everything looked to be good.

Cain took one last look around the town and dipped her head into each building to see if anyone was still inside, but all the hot blood suddenly flushed from her veins when she heard the rumbling footsteps below her feet. Cain took in one last breath and turned her head towards the edge of town just as something silver began to gleam over the horizon. She came face to face with the Destroyer, an overly tall suit of empty armor that walked like a puppet on strings. Right away, she knew that this thing wasn't here by its own free will. Something or someone was controlling it.

In that small moment of peace she had left to herself, Cain thought over to the night before, the night that should've never ended. From the electric feeling upon her skin and the heat against her lips, she truly wished that she could be lost to that beautiful dream forever, but...that was never possible for her case. Cain closed her eyes and stood her ground against the giant suit of armor that stopped in front of her, now being blocked by her small frame. "I...do not know why you are here," she spoke and saw the Destroyer tilt its head to the side like someone _was_ listening to her. "But I do not care for your reasons, cause you're not getting past me."

Thor turned around when he heard Cain's smooth and confident voice address someone. "Cain?" He looked...and saw the most soul-draining thing that had ever crossed his field of vision. Cain's small figure stood firmly against the suit of armor that had the ability to massacre everything and everyone around him. He saw the Destroyer turn its body to the side like it was getting ready to strike. "No!" Panic made his voice come out shrill. He broke out into a fast sprint before the words even left his mouth. "CAIN, NO!" He lifted his hands and shoved her body aside just as Destroyer's arm swung up and struck him across the chest. He hit the ground hard and felt the air get sucked out of his lungs on impact. The sharp edges of its arm ripped right into him and blood began to seep out from his open wounds.

The 'mask' on Cain's face crumbled away and panic stormed her eyes. She stared at Thor's fallen body and the only question that ran through her head...was why? Cain was no longer in control of her subconscious as it slipped away to the last few days. Days turned into weeks, weeks to months, months to decades, and decades to millennia. At that moment, she felt herself fall into a catatonic state of shock. It was like her whole body and the world around her shut down. She didn't feel the heat of the sun and the hot gravel rubbing against her skin. She didn't hear the loud footsteps or the burning inferno from the Destroyer. The only thing she could really hear was her own heartbeat thumping away in her ears. Cain's eyes dilated and her lips parted, taking in a deep breath that she didn't even know she was holding in. Her lungs might as well be on fire with her heart taking a leap into oblivion.

In her mind...she wasn't worth such a soul-shattering sacrifice that made her body paralyzed.

Thor felt his body being shot with this throbbing pain that made it hard to breathe. Taking in short gasps of air, he rolled onto his stomach and felt the hot gravel scraping against his open wounds. The only thing he could focus his gaze on though was Cain's motionless body that still laid on the ground. "Cain...Cain! You need to run! Please!" he pleaded and dug his fingers against the ground to crawl but his body felt too heavy. He was helpless in his attempt to save her as the Destroyer began to approach the lady.

Cain saw a tall shadow cast over her body and looked up to see the Destroyer. The wind picked up harshly and made her throat burn from the sand. She stared into the eye slits of the helmet just as it slipped down, revealing a burning inferno on the inside. She could feel the heat upon her skin and could see the flames glowing through the small cracks in the armor. The fires inside roared and made a loud whirling sound like something being powered up.

Thor continued to shout madly at the woman who was motionless. "Cain! Run! Please just run away! I beg you!"

Cain gently turned her lovely face back to Thor with the same troubled look. Her full lips parted like she was going to say something to him but those words never came in time. Fire spilled out of the suit of armor and her body was totally consumed by the hellish flames.

"NO!" Thor's horror-filled voice crackled like lightning.


	8. The Mark Of Cain

**THE MARK OF CAIN**

_My dear sisters,_

_Throughout my life, I have done nothing but protect you since the moment you both were born and had the great pleasure of being your older sister. I might even say that my only redeeming quality is that I'm related to such amazing women._ _I know I've wronged you in the past when humanity was only just beginning, and I'm quite aware that you both have forgiven me, long before I can forgive myself. I can't overlook what I've done to this family and I truly wish things could go back to the way they were, but we all know that's not possible._ _You may not be aware of this but I plan on taking some of these secrets to my 'grave'._

* * *

A loud whirring noise began to pick up within the ball of hellish flames that swallowed Cain's body. It vibrated the air and a loud rattling noise began to pick up speed with every passing second until the fires got hotter and brighter. The flames suddenly fired back tenfolds and struck the Destroyer square in the chest **,** hard. Its feet were swept up beneath him and was sent crashing into the front wall of the diner behind him. The giant suit of armor laid on the ground and twitched under the pile of crumbled cement. It looked up, seeing that its own flames somehow burned hot enough to melt the metal chest plate.

No one breathed in that split second minute it all happened and just stared at the burning spot they last saw Cain. Suddenly their whole body began to shudder upon witnessing long and elegant fingers clawing away at the black smoke from within. A deep and raspy voice echoed out and all they felt were shivers up and down their bodies. It was the kind of voice that would even make the devil tremble with terror. "You really have no idea who you're threatening right now."

The smoke faded and everyone was left in a state of hysterics at what emerged from the inferno, thought to have been scorched alive. Cain was completely uninjured with not a single burn or scar on her flawless skin. Her face was set in this completely calm and composed manner that made it seem like an entirely different person had emerged instead of the woman they _thought_ they knew. And suddenly, Thor felt like all his questions about her were answered in the split second she made eye contact with him. All but one thought that he felt like he'll have to ask her personally...

_Is Cain really normal? If not then...what is she?_

The Destroyer slowly began to dig itself out of the mountain of rubble that fell upon him after the wall collapsed. It climbed out of the diner with molten hot metal dripping from its chest, its movements seemed a bit more sluggish now after getting hit with a blast of fire that burned hotter than its own inferno. But like a puppet on strings, it continued with his mission.

Cain sighed deeply and looked over to Thor as Fandral and Hogun rushed over to carry him away from the danger. "Get him out of here right now!" she roared at the warriors with her rumbling voice that could rattle mountains.

Fandral and Hogun gathered Thor up and wrapped both his arms around their shoulders, dragging him away from the scene. "Come on! We got to get out of here!" Fandral addressed the severity.

Thor was reluctant to leave Cain's side and even fought against his friends dragging him away. Never again did he want her to be alone, and never again did he want to see such a broken and drained look in her eyes. It didn't belong there, not on the face of such an astonishing woman. "No...! I cannot leave her behind...!" he stretched his throbbing and exhausted arm out to her. "Cain!" His heart felt like it was becoming heavier and heavier over the stretch of a minute. The only comfort he was given was the final weak smile on Cain's face. It was the last thing he saw of her after being hauled away.

Cain felt her heart grow heavy like led, her lips quivering with the final grieving look on Thor's face. She tightly closed her eyes as his desperate voice drifted farther and farther away. Looking back at the Destroyer, there was the unmistakable whirring sound starting up again. Cain scoffed and stared into the burning abyss on the inside of the suit. "Once more into the fray..." Her voice was flat and exhausted but a fire burned in her limitless eyes that were so very old, so very tired, but not yet finished with the world. "It just never ends...not in my lifetime..."

The Destroyer's tall and intimidating figure loomed high in the air...but Cain's shadow was taller.

* * *

_The universe is cruel but I've done crueler things that would make the world ashamed of me, but I care not for their opinion. I have disgraced myself beyond the point of return and will gladly continue on with this mindset. We all know that the years have not been kind to us and the people of this world even less. They look at us in either two ways: either fear us or reject us. They can go ahead and think that if they want because we know that they are nothing but dust in the wind, while we are eternal. But, there are things that even I can't let slide. They can do what they want or say what they want, for this body has already grown cold from the long years...but God save them if they were to ever touch my most beloved possessions in the world...my cherished sisters._

_On the day everything went wrong, the ground opened up and I was swallowed whole the moment I laid my hands against you. I didn't care what happened to me afterwards, but you, my dear Abel, have been abused by this world more often than others, having to have been literally burned at the stake by the wickedness of the earth despite doing nothing wrong, and I so desperately wish to take that pain away._

* * *

Cain suddenly swung her arm all the way around, and with all her might, slammed her fist into the earth. The ground below her began to rumble and split apart, creating large branching cracks throughout the town that caused some building foundations to crumble from the tremors. The whole area quivered and trembled from the earthquake and the Destroyer couldn't keep its balance anymore and fell on one knee. He misfired the shot and blast into the small bank besides Cain.

The heap of fire and the burning bills made Cain's appearance almost seem demonic-like. Her eyes were deranged and bloodshot and her skin began to turn a sickly pale. It didn't even look like the same person anymore, but a monster older than time itself that deserved all the fear and respect of the world. It made the puppet master wonder this one terrible thought... _what_ did he just anger?

Once the tremors stopped, the Destroyer yanked its leg free from the hold of the earth and stood up once more. It used its long legs to cover the distance between them and swung its arm around to strike her but Cain easily caught it with a single hand. She gripped its upper arm tightly with her monstrous strength until the metal began to bend and crackle under the harsh pressure. The Destroyer then abruptly lifted its arm up in the air until she was suspended above the ground. It began to turn its body and a sharp gasp escaped from Cain's throat when she was launched across town like a rag doll with no weight. Her body slammed hard against the rough pavement and she felt a distressing crunch from her bones. She tousled up the road until her body finally came to a complete halt.

* * *

_You both may have forgotten most of these years, unfortunately, bad ones never seem to fade from the mind even as time continues to move on._

_The Fire of Rome...when Nero went mad with obsession._

_Pompeii...when our bodies were buried under thick blankets of volcanic ash._

_Salem...when you, Abel were forced on trial...and burned._

_Cannibalism during the Ukraine Famine..._

_And my experience in the Auschwitz concentration camp._

* * *

Cain had to take a moment to lay on the ground to regain all the air that was sucked from her lungs on impact. Her broken body quivered and was covered in severe road rash all over her skin. Her shirt was ripped, her pants were torn and her arms were coated with blood with gravel embedded in her flesh. Cain felt her stomach began to heave with nausea, like sharp needles stabbing themselves all over her body before suddenly...ease. Steam raided off her skin like heavy smoke from a forest fire and her eyes snapped wide open.

The Destroyer turned its head around and saw Jane's van quickly driving out of the town and into the desert to get as far away as possible. The helmet slid down and fire began to bubble up...when a power-pole suddenly struck the back of its head and knocked it to the ground. The Destroyer turned around on its back and tried to get up but Cain suddenly shoved it further into the ground with force heavy enough to form a small crater beneath them. Her hand was stretched out and her fingers curled over the helmet until the metal started to yield and give away.

Cain leaned in close and whispered in a raspy low voice so the puppet master would hear her. "Consider this a warning." Her grip suddenly intensified and her fingernails began to dig into the hard material until the fire started to leak out through the cracks.

The Destroyer, in a desperate attempt to free himself from the madwoman, fired a shot out. It abruptly ricocheted right off her and came back stronger and hotter than before. The flames decimated and melted the suit of armor, causing an erupting shockwave to burst out, taking Cain and the town down with it as an intense heatwave rippled out through the desert.

* * *

_Oh, my dears sisters...we've been through it all and I have worked tirelessly to keep you all safe and shield your eyes from the damnation of the world. This being my only kind of salvation...my only redemption._

_I cursed my beloved family with a life they should've never had, and I will never let myself live it down. I will have to live on with this curse and with this never-changing body as the planet's own clock ticks away. When the time comes, the world ends and humans no longer exist upon these grounds...I, inevitably, will still be here._

_My name is Cain, and I am humanity's firstborn...and I am its first sin._


	9. She Was Just A Beautiful Dream

**SHE WAS JUST A BEAUTIFUL DREAM**

The desert fell silent once more and not a single ripple disturbed the peace. Everyone stood outside the town and under the burning sun, waiting with throbbing hearts full of tension and worry. The wind had stopped and the smoke was no longer being blown in their direction, but everyone continued to hold their breath. No one dared to breathe for at least another minute, trying to grasp what had just happened and if this was still real, or if they all had lost their minds.

Darcy was the first to speak up with a meek voice. "Is it over?" she asked shyly.

"Has the Destroyer been defeated?" Volstagg questioned and narrowed his eyes skeptically.

Jane bit down on her lips and stared at what remains of the town, now torn down and smoldering in black smoke. She felt her heart in her ears that thumped like a mad drum. "But... What happened to Cain?" Her voice quivered with uneasiness.

Thor listened in silence while sitting on the ground, his back to the van. His body was still throbbing from the wounds he obtained from the Destroyer but this overwhelming sensation of wanting to find out if she was alright overruled the pain. "I'm going back for her." He got up off the ground and began to limp past everyone. He was stopped in his tracks by Sif.

"Thor, that's too dangerous." she urged him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "We don't even know if the Destroyer still lives...or if that woman is a friend or foe."

Erik's face contorted when he heard that. "Friend or foe? Are you serious? You don't even know her." He defended his friend and even got quite agitated by her comment. "Cause from where I'm standing it looked like she saved us all."

"And yet you looked just as surprised as the rest of us when she emerged from the smoke without a single burn." Sif shot back with a very good point. They were just as in the dark as the rest of them.

Jane promptly stepped in and even began to raise her voice to grab everyone's attention. "That doesn't deny the fact that she tried to make sure everyone was alright! Yes...we didn't know she was capable of...whatever that was. But she's still our friend." All the color soon drained from her face when she let out a sharp gasp. "And we just abandoned her..." Thor tried to console her but his arm was only swatted away. "Don't!" she spat. "I thought you cared about her. Why are you hesitating? Do you really think she's the bad guy?"

Thor stiffened, rooted to his spot when the words knocked him in the stomach. "I wouldn't...no..." he muttered, looking discouraged. His muscles clenched up and his stomach even started to turn. He would never in his whole life think Cain was a danger, yet...there was some hesitation with this newfound discovery that confused him. It felt like reality was slipping away and he didn't know what to think.

"Whatever it may be," Hogun began. "We should think very carefully about our next course of action."

"Then you better think fast..." Darcy suddenly spoke up. "'Cause somethings coming."

At the time, Darcy and Fandral were directing their attention to the sky and saw something falling to the earth at a rapidly accelerating pace. It stretched across the desert and made a loud roaring noise from it blasting through the sound barrier. Their eyes grew wide and everyone quickly backed away when the object grew bigger and bigger the closer it approached the ground.

"Everyone get back! Back!" Sif shouted just when the object crashed down to the earth, rattling everyone's eardrums like a bomb going off.

The ground rumbled and the sand hazed the air like a thick veil, covering up the black humanoid figure standing within. The first thing they noticed was the smell, the awful aroma of burnt flesh that stained their nose and made their eyes water. They finally recognized what it was that emerged from the sand cloud once it settled down. If you could use one word to describe it then it would be a burnt match stick, completely black with nothing resembling human features at all. The nose was nonexistent and the lips were covered with thick layers of ash. The creature was completely bald too with black and red cracks all around its steaming skin. Steaming or smoking. No one knew. It also looked like it was holding something in its hand but it was unclear from the angle everyone was standing.

Thor gazed upon the creature with horror storming across his face, only because he recognized the lively eyes of this being. They were big, endless, and colored hazel. He knew those eyes because he had spent most of his time admiring them. "Cain...?" he breathed out in shock, voice trembling and hands shaking with an urge to hold her close.

The creature, or Cain, abruptly snapped her head towards Jane's van and slowly began to stroll over to it. Walking in an odd and slow manner as flakes of skin sheared off from her legs. She climbed up inside and slammed the door shut behind her. Steam escaped from the cracks with this obvious sound of rustling clothes and suitcases being opened from within. Moments later the door opened and fog poured from the van. Cain stepped out and was now fully dressed in jean shorts and a form-fitting blue top. Her skin was oddly clean without a single blemish or scar, and her hair was no longer in a mess it once was when she woke up this morning. In all honesty, it looked like she just woke up from a well-deserved nap.

Thor would have run up and hugged her if Jane didn't beat him to it, literally shoving past him and wrapping her arms tightly around Cain's newly restored body.

"Oh, my God." Jane squeezed her tightly and about felt her own heart give out with all the excitement. Cain was still silent and gently dropped her head into her shoulder, gradually hugging her friend back. "Thank God you're alright."

Erik smiled sheepishly and embraced her tightly too, once Jane stepped away. "You about gave us a damn heart attack."

Darcy gently spoke up since she seems to be the only one willing to ask the question. "Is it dead?" she asked rather innocently.

Cain backed away from her friends and stared at everyone, noticing that all the warriors were trembling a bit with obvious drops of sweat dripping off their faces because of the stress. They clenched their sword and axes tightly in their hands until their skin turned white. Without even speaking, she walked back over to the van and reached inside to the back seat, pulling something out and tossed whatever it was at the warrior's feet. The large metal object rolled on the ground until it finally stopped. It was the Destroyer's distorted head that was half-melted and burned off from the last attack that blasted back at him.

This right there...was proof enough, and the battle was decided. This woman, thin, small, and seemingly lacking muscle, somehow managed to take down the Destroyer with little to no effort at all, and still stood with not a single wound on her body from her battle.

Everyone was thinking it but no one had the courage to say it to her. What they saw. What they witnessed. It all just seemed too impossible to even comprehend something like that happening. Did their eyes fail them or is the unsettling feeling in their gut lying to them? Cain...was burned alive right before their eyes...but only had the attack get shot back tenfolds, later walking it off like nothing.

Thor stared at Cain for what seemed like an endless second before he finally opened his mouth. "Cain...I'm sorry but-"

"You want to know what I am, right?" Cain cut him off right where he stood and snapped her head towards him. "It doesn't take a genius to read the spiking tension in the air." Her voice was as smooth as ever but was reluctant as well.

Thor swallowed hard but had no intention of going back on his word. He wanted to know, he craved to know, he desired to know what she was. "Please."

Cain tilted her head to the side and scoffed. "I don't think you can even fathom...what I am."

Erik spoke up this time. "Cain, don't you think we have the right to know?"

"You do but..." She heisted and looked away from everyone, staring down at the ground and biting her lips. She could literally hear every single one of their heartbeats pattering out of control from anxiety, making her ears ring. Sighing to herself, Cain gave in to their demands. "Fine, but don't blame me if you can't grasp it. In the past...I've been called many names. Everlasting, endless, timeless, eternal. But I suppose the most accurate term now...would be immortal."

In that single moment that only lasted for a second...they all thought their hearts were going to give out. All the wind was knocked from their chests and their lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. It felt like all the stars were aligning and everything was beginning to make sense for them. These unanswered questions that had been gathering in the back of their minds for years now finally came forward, demanding, asking, craving answers.

When you say immortal, you think an elderly man with white hair resembling spider webs, sitting in a dusty old room full of even dustier old books. Or an old witchy woman with a cauldron and bookshelves full of spells and potions. Cain is not what you have in mind when you think immortal. A young beautiful woman who barely looks to be in her 30's.

Darcy was the first to speak up, her voice cracking from nerves. "How old are you?"

Cain paused for a moment, probably searching through her endless memories to come up with an answer. "That's actually a good question, cause I stopped counting after eight-hundred. One million? two billion? I honestly...don't remember anymore."

Sif was still suspicious and haven't released the firm grip on her sword yet. "But that's..."

"Impossible? Because I'm older than everyone here combined?" Cain scoffed. "That's not even the start of how this all began."

"Genesis," Thor suddenly remembered and saw this haunted look in Cain's eyes. "I thought it was strange so...I asked Erik about it. He told me the story about humanity's firstborn, the story of how...Cain killed his brother. That story..." He looked her dead in the eyes. "It's about you and your family, isn't it?"

Cain was held the silence of the whole world for a moment, turning and staring back out to the endless desert that stretched out for miles. "Yes. The story is wrong though...mostly. I made sure it was to protect our identity. I never killed my brother, I never had a brother, but...I almost killed my sister." She stuck her hands deep into her pocket and sighed deeply. "Jealousy is a wicked thing. She was the perfect sister and could do anything I could do, but better. I was proud of her but...little did I know that there was a darkness growing inside over the years. It was deep, hungry, rageful...and ugly. It _was_ a demon, I'm sure. And one day It took a hold of my body and that was all I remember before everything went black... I later woke up in the middle of the woods with my sister's blood covering my hands." She spoke with pain leering in her voice. Cain brought out her hands and stared down at them like she was still seeing her crime.

Thor suddenly spoke up to everyone. "Can all of you leave us for a moment?" he abruptly asked, more like demanding. They could tell that he wanted some time alone with her, but Cain honestly looked puzzled by the request and felt her chest bubble up with a tinge of dread.

Jane hesitated for a moment when everyone began to walk past her. She was ultimately pulled away by Erik though in the end. "Cain?" She looked over her shoulder and called out to her but the immortal lady didn't even meet her gaze. They all soon left the two alone in a void of silence that just seemed to suck all the life from Cain's eyes.

Thor wanted more answers. Heck, he craved to know more and the questions finally began to fall from his mouth. "Didn't you say that you loved your sisters?"

"I wasn't lying..." she shrugged her shoulders half-heartily. "My sister never hated me to begin with. Actually she, uh, admired me like a superhero." Cain smiled weakly from the old yet fond memories. "It's funny. I almost killed my sister but she still loves me to death somehow. I'm blessed to have someone like her in my life." Her voice was deep and staggered with blackness. "But I can't forgive myself. What I've done...I won't allow myself to have that luxury."

There was something about her words that made his heart ache with tension, but he reassured himself that he might be able to get through to her somehow or another. "You know, despite everything that happened...I still consider last night to be the best night I've had in a long time. Being with you, and only with you, I never wanted it to end." he spoke honestly.

Cain frowned and her voice got really low. "It was just a dream, Thor." she shook her head.

Thor gave a faint smile that was still brewing with confidence. "So you're saying the amazing woman standing before me right now was just a beautiful dream?" he laughed weakly.

Her lips parted and a genuine look of shock crossed her eyes for only a split second. Sadly though, a disheartening smile appeared instead. "I truly wish I _was_ a beautiful dream."

It was those kinds of words that made reality slow down and rip his heart wide open. Thor felt all the warm blood drain from his body and left him in a cold sweat because of how heartbreaking those words were to him. He understood really fast that this woman...had absolutely no self-respect anymore for what she did to her sister. "Cain, I don't regret for one moment meeting you."

"You would if you actually knew me." The coldness he felt from her was dark, and it was different from any monster he had fought up till now. Thor could tell just how much she loved her family but the guilt coming off her was enough to drown in. It honestly made it very hard to breathe around her.

Cain was cursed, bluntly put. She was being forced to watch as time passed by one after another, leaving her and her sisters alone in a future where there will soon be nothing but dust and rusty memories of soon to be forgotten happiness.

Cain was the start of humanity and _will_ be the end of it...and he didn't like that. Thor didn't want that for her.

He opened his mouth before he knew it and words belted out from deep in his lungs. "An older sister just trying to protect her family is no crime!" Thor shouted and actually made Cain jump from his desperate tone of voice. Taking his injured body, he marched right up to her small stature. "I mean every word I said. You are an intelligent, strong, confident and...an absolutely beautiful woman," he said meaningfully. "You are the most respectable person I have ever met. And I truly feel grateful to have met you."

"And Immortal," she spoke up sorrowfully. "Thor...you will die and these memories of right now will fade in like...100 years. Don't fool yourself. Why can't you understand that I'm...not worth it." She wasn't crying but her voice was trembling and her eyes became glassy. Cain was even having difficulty seeing past the blur.

"Well, you are to me!" He took his hands and gently brushed the sides of her face, feeling her recoil a bit under his sudden warm touch. "Why can't you understand...that I want to spend every moment of my life reminding you...that you _are_ worth it."

He moved in slow at first in an attempt to not scare her away, but the moment he met with her natural vanilla scent, it was like all rational thoughts disappeared from his mind at once. His body just moved on with this growing desire to hold her, moving his hands to the back of her head to deepen the moment in any way he could. Thor held onto her desperately, wanting everything about this woman to be his and his alone. Cain's lips parted from shock and a sharp gasp escaped. Slowly though, her body eased up and her hands found their way to his back and grasped a hold of his shirt tightly. She took in every sensation that muddled her mind. All the pain, gone. All the anxiety, nonexistent. Cain felt all her worries slip away and morphe into something else... a glimpse of pure contentment.

Cain's eyes snapped open though and she broke free from him when this electric shock coursed through her veins, soon followed by the sound of a loud rumbling noise coming from the sky. Thor looked just as surprised and they slowly looked up at the darkening skies, seeing something traveling at a high speed above the cloudline.

A smile broke out on Thor's face. "At last..."

Cain's eyes honed in on the object that...looked strangely like a hammer. "Isn't that?" she muttered and finally realized something. She slowly began to step away from Thor just as Jane and the rest of them hurry back over after hearing the sky rumble.

"What's going on?" Darcy asked, slipping behind Cain. "What's happening?"

Cain's face set firm just as the hammer slammed against the palm of Thor's hand, electrocuting him in a shroud of blue and white light. The pure lightning made her hair stand up and spark a bit but she didn't look away from the blinding light as a faint smile rose to her lips. "Lightning."


	10. "I Love You" Ends With "Thank You"

**"I LOVE YOU" ENDS WITH "THANK YOU"**

'Impossible' was used to describe Cain's existence, but 'beyond' is what she would dedicate to Thor. A man who has lightning coursing through his veins. Even his words had more power than any kind of nuclear power plant. It was this feeling that completely took her breath away once the blinding lights faded and Thor emerged. He stood before them now as a different man, someone who was _complete_. His wounds have healed and his body stood tall, dressed in brown leather and silver armor pieces. He also donned a long red cape with his mighty hammer now firmly in his strong grasp.

Cain's heart instantly burst and her throat dried up when her eyes met with his. Now, she could see that he _was_ the spitting image of the God of Thunder. The man he was truly meant to be.

Jane's mouth fell open. "Oh. My. God," she muttered. "Is this what you usually look like?"

Thor gave a sheepish smile and strolled up to them, his cape swinging back and forth as he walked. "More or less."

Jane could only stare with wide eyes at the literal god standing before her. "It's a good look." She glanced over to Cain and saw the woman's face look shocked at first before completely relaxing. "You...don't look that surprised." she pointed out.

Cain shrugged her shoulders. "I've met a woman who literally glowed (Captain Marvel reference), so...I kinda had a hunch," she said dryly and stared at Thor with this silence that actually made him nervous for some reason.

Thor didn't want to do anything that displeased her so his mind panicked a bit, thinking that she might not like his look. "Do you like it?" he asked and relaxed immensely once he saw Cain's lovely lips lift up into a tender smile.

"You look complete," she spoke warmly.

His stomach was fluttering so much and he couldn't help himself. Thor walked up to Cain and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He buried his head down into the curve of her neck and felt utter contentment in her gentle yet strong arms. The moment was ruined though with the sound of a car engine rushing up to them with a harsh door slam.

Cain backed away and saw the black SUV's from SHIELD pulling up to them. She eyed them with a cocked eyebrow and sarcasm immediately poured from her mouth once she saw Coulson step out. "Thank you for informing me about the giant metal death trap, Coulson. You and your men are doing a fine job."

Coulson looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you really saying that after completely obliterating the town? You do know this is going to come out of your own pocket, right?"

Cain's face twisted a bit while calculating the numbers in her head. "A town this size... Will 2 million be enough?" It wasn't all the big in the first place, but the whole town mostly consisted of family-owned shops more than anything.

"Let's just put down 3 million and just say this was a bad day." Coulson decided to leave it at that and really didn't want to press the matter. After all, she did just go toe-to-toe with an outer space suit of metal and won.

The immortal lady pondered on the deal for a bit before sighing in defeat. "Fine," Cain grumbled and turned around to head to the van, mumbling under her breath. "I swear this is the most expensive century I've ever been in." She began to rummage through some of her things until she came to a wallet that was full of debit cards. "Let's see...I can't use Bamlett because I'm using that one right now. Yimir...no...Brunuhville...no," Cain muttered to herself and finally pulled the card she was looking for. "Rybar... That can work." She walked back over to a patiently waiting Coulson and gave it to him. "Here. My Rybar account will cover the whole town."

Coulson frowned and stared down at the name. "Is that the name you used before 'Bamlett'?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Between 1940 to 1961." Cain could still feel the urgency in the air and turned back to Thor, beginning to feel her heart speed up. "So where do you need to go?" she asked.

Thor spoke up but saw a subtle shift in Cain's eyes."We must go to the Bifrost site. I would have words with my brother."

* * *

Cain was quiet during the whole car ride and felt her stomach turning and twisting with every bump the van made. She took in a deep breath and stared at the empty landscape as they drove by, making the short journey out to the middle of the desert where it all began.

Once there, Thor walked over to the brand in the ground and looked up. "Heimdall, open the Bifrost," he spoke to the sky but nothing happened. Only silence filled the desert. "Heimdall!" Thor looked back to his friends, puzzled since this was very unlike Heimdall. He knew right away that something was amiss. "He doesn't answer."

"Then we are stranded," Hogun said grimly.

Thor continued to call out to the sky. "Heimdall! If you can hear me, we need you now! Heimdall! We need you now!" he shouted to the heavens but nothing continued to happen.

Cain then began to frown once her hearing kicked in and the sky started to roll and rumble. The clouds began to gather and her heart dropped once she saw the familiar yet gorgeous sight. The sky split open and a kaleidoscope ray of colors began to shimmer through the clouds. It took her breath away like it did that night, but the feeling of dread made her body feel heavy. It felt like Cain was about to wake up from a beautiful dream...and Thor knew it too. This was it. The final moment they would have with each other until who knows how long.

He didn't want it to end. Thor wanted to take this woman with him and show her a world she had never seen before. To have her face light up like a child once her eyes gaze upon the golden city of Asgard. He wanted to see that so badly...but it can't be now, not this moment.

Thor walked up to Cain and gripped her hand tightly. "Cain, I must go back to Asgard." He could not hide the pain in his own eyes.

Cain nodded her head and somehow maintained that calm and composed mask to hide her shattering heart. "There is no need for you to worry about me. You don't need my permission to save your people."

He felt his whole body shiver from the cool tone of her voice. Thor dropped his hammer and it magnetically got pulled to the ground. He dragged her close and poured all his feelings into the embrace so she won't forget the passion or the heat. From the warmth of his body and the deepness of his voice, Cain didn't want to part from it at all. She long to hold onto it for as long as she could.

"I swear...I will return to you." Thor promised her from the bottom of his heart while running his fingers through her soft golden hair.

The eternal woman gave a sorrowful smile and suddenly pressed her forehead against his. She spoke in a gentle whisper. "I know..." Reluctantly though, she stepped away from him and felt the warmth leave her body upon their last touch.

Thor began to walk back over to the circle but kept his eyes firmly focused on Cain. He felt the tug on his heart with every step he took and wanted the last thing he saw on Earth to be her. "Cain..." he stared at her with pleading eyes. "I love you."

Her hazel eyes slowly became wide and the air was knocked from her lungs. She has faced an endless life, an eternity of dragging her feet...but for this very first moment, she felt pleased. Generally overjoyed like she was 'flying' and not 'falling'. Clenching down on her teeth, her heart began to swell. Cain opened her eyes and smiled one last time at him, her eyes becoming glassy and red. "Thank you."

Her words barely broke through just as a bright light touch down. Thor and his friends disappeared through the trail of colors and they finally faded away. Cain couldn't hear anything anymore. Not a voice. Not a heartbeat. Completely and utterly gone.

A sharp gasp escaped her throat and she realized that she forgot to breathe this whole time. Cain lifted her hands and covered her mouth as her lips started to quiver. She wasn't going to cry though because she knew if she did...then she would truly break right there and then.

Jane was taken back to see her friend collapse to her knees. "Cain." She walked over to her and wrapped her arms tightly around the lady's body to ease her shivering. "It's alright. Everything's gonna be fine." She promised her.

At first, Cain loved the silence. It was a relief to not hear the constant sounds of beating hearts and slurring human words. It was peaceful and she adored that aspect of the sound of silence. But now...Cain felt and heard nothing. Not the lightning sparking her skin, nor the thunder rolling in the air. The silence that held the desert was absolutely sickening, and it was enough to madden the mind and made one's self fall into depravity.

It was all so quiet now...and Cain hated the peace.

* * *

One Week Later

It only took them about an hour to help Cain pack up all her things and load them in the back of her trunk. She didn't have that many clothes nor personal items of importance, so it wasn't much trouble for everyone. Cain was dressed and ready to go. She wore a tight-fitting brown leather jacket that was zipped up, dark blue jeans, and black boots. She also had on her signature red lipstick, spread perfectly across her lips.

Darcy was grumbling the whole time and was actually sad to see Cain leaving. "That's it, right? You're leaving?" She frowned sadly after putting the last box in the trunk.

Cain was sat half inside her car and just jostled her car keys back and forth between her hands. "That's the plan," she said in a monotone voice.

"You got any idea where you're gonna go next?" Erik grabbed the top of the trunk and slammed it shut. He then walked up to the side of the car and leaned against the burning hot frame.

Cain looked at her phone that had a map on it. "I thought it over for a bit and figured I'll be staying in Brownsville for a while. I can't stand much of the silence anymore, so Texas will probably be good enough."

It may have already been a whole week, but Jane still wasn't certain about Cain's decision to leave. "What about Thor?" She knew that her friend was a master at hiding her feelings, but she knew better. This whole facade Cain was wearing...it was a mask to hide the heartbreak.

Cain looked up from her phone and said nothing, but her eyes told a different story. She tossed the phone into the passenger's seat. "It's been a whole week, Jane. I can't stay here anymore or the silence will really drive me insane." Her voice was surprisingly rough when she spoke. A deep sigh escaped her lips, and she really just looked tired. "I'm Immortal...which means I'm very good at waiting. I'm fine, Jane. Really." Cain gave them a reassuring smile.

Jane didn't believe that for one second but reluctantly accepted this as a farewell and gave her long-time friend a big hug. "Don't hesitate to call us, okay?"

"I won't be a stranger," she muttered and backed away.

"Cain..." Darcy dragged her feet over. She didn't wait for permission and just wrapped her arms around her. "It hasn't been long...but I'm gonna miss you."

Cain was taken back at first but a smile finally slips to her red-painted lips. "Darcy..." she rubbed her back.

Erik offered his hand out for her to shake. "I'm sure we'll see you again. Just not when we're gray and laying on our deathbed, please." he cracked a smile.

"I'll make sure not too." Cain grabbed his hand and firmly shook it. She reached for her sunglasses hanging on her shirt and placed them over her eyes to block out the burning sun. "Take care."

It was finally time to leave the town of silence that ate away at her peace of mind. Cain hopped inside her car and started up the engine. It roared to life and the tires kicked up the sand below. She tore out of the parking lot and took on the empty highway in all its glory, leaving behind the beauty that _was_ the empty desert.

* * *

Four Days Later

A bar was a land of mystery where you could find all kinds of people behind the old wooden doors that smelled of aged whiskey and cigarette smoke. There were the chatterboxes who would not shut up once you juiced them up with booze, the gloomy happy-faces that hid behind that perfect mask, and the young and elegant woman who has tales older than her physical age.

To most people, it was just some rickety old bar that served no purpose, aside from housing the local drunks and the recently divorced couples. But to this woman...to Abel, it somehow found its way into her heart and managed to bring a genuine smile of comfort to her full pink lips. In this place, she wasn't in the spotlight or under the flashing camera lights. Here, she truly felt like she could be herself. And...it was a good break from Tony as well.

Abel sat beside a woman with blonde hair that faded out to chestnut brown at the ends. Her new yet charming friend, Macy Clark, who had also recently published a popular book, inspired by Abel's own tale through human trafficking. "You had become quite the celebrity," Macy said while swirling around a single cub of ice in her whiskey glass. "People are even saying that you're Tony Stark's personal bodyguard."

An innocent and elegant laugh escaped Abel's lips. "How silly. It's nothing like that though. I'm just trying to keep an eye on him, you know. It's harder than you think."

"Knowing that dude's personality, I _do_ know," Macy frowned. "Stark's been on the news for years now...but after you showed up, I don't know, it's like he toned down a bit." she mutter and cast a glance at Abel, noticing an odd and distant look in her eyes. "You gotta tell me how you guys met."

"Maybe one day." she tilted her head to the side. "Maybe it can be another book as well."

Curiosity suddenly struck Macy's eyes harder than a train's impact. "I'm gonna hold you up on that promise. Mark my words." She wasn't in it for the money and merely only had a fondness for stories told by the most interesting bunch of people. Fictions and non-fiction. It has always been her passion, and never in her whole life had she met someone who had such an endless array of stories like Abel did. She was an exceptional storyteller and each one was more interesting than the last.

Abel's phone suddenly began to buzz on the counter and the screen lit up. She frowned and looked down, the color falling away from her once healthy-looking skin. "Oh, dear..." she muttered when she saw who was calling.

Macy tried to see the name on the phone but Abel grabbed it quickly and got up from her chair. "Is everything alright?" Macy asked, noticing that her friend looked to be in a hurry all of a sudden.

Abel smiled Macy's worries away like she usually does to hide her problems. "What, oh, uh...yeah. Duty calls, that's all. I'll be right back." She gave her a pat on the shoulder and hurried out of the bar.

Twilight hid the world away in this thick veil of isolating blackness. The sky was full of millions of glowing diamonds and the glass moon was brightly pale tonight, Abel noticed once she stepped outside through the side entrance. The parking lot was mostly empty of people with only a handful of cars, so everyone was currently inside at the moment. Leaving the young lady totally alone in the darkness.

Abel took a deep breath and braced herself. She looked down at her phone, which was still ringing silently, and answered it. "Hello?"

" _Hello?"_ she suddenly heard her own voice echo out from another phone's speaker.

Abel was rooted in her spot and all the air was sucked from her lungs. She lifted her head and scanned the cars in the parking lot. Everything around her was cast in these large humanoid shadows of people walking in and out of the bar. Slowly, she followed where her voice came out and found herself standing before a car with the engine still running. Sitting half inside was a woman, her face only being lit up from the phone's light in her hand.

Cain lifted her head and spoke in her usual low and raspy voice. "Hello, Abel." Her phone cut off and Cain's face was shrouded in darkness once more. She rose from her car and made her way over to her sister, who was considerably smaller than her.

Abel felt her whole body began to tremble when she tilted her head back to look up. Her brown eyes haven't changed at all in all these years. So young, so kind, and so elegant. Timidly, she lifted her hand up and grabbed Cain by her shoulder, but once she did a smile broke to her lips. It was so wide and joyful that it stretched from ear to ear. "Oh my..." She laughed a bit and abruptly wrapped her long arms around her. "Sister!" she cheered, swinging her sister side to side, something that of a child would do when they would become overly excited.

In that split second her warm body collided with Abel's, Cain felt her aching heart finally began to settle down. She didn't hesitate or second guess herself, she only hugged her sister back just as tightly and even lifted her off the ground. This was just like Abel, she always got overly excited to see her eldest sister and just couldn't contain the overflowing amount of joy in her small body. This is what Cain needed right now. She didn't need to drink her loneliness away or seek isolation to heal her shattered heart... She just needed her family, and that was enough for her.


End file.
